Apparatus, computer readable medium and method for effectively navigating polysemous symbols across a plurality of linked electronic screen overlays, including use with visual indicators

ABSTRACT

A method, apparatus and computer readable medium are disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the method includes providing polysemous symbols for selection on an initial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display; storing, in a memory, a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in association with a pointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay; and displaying a second electronic screen overlay on the display, in response to initial selection of one of the provided polysemous symbols. In at least one embodiment, the second electronic screen overlay is the electronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemous symbol.

PRIORITY STATEMENT

The present application is a PCT national stage application ofinternational application number PCT/US2013/052217 filed Jul. 26, 2013,which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/827,156, filedMar. 14, 2013 and U.S. application Ser. No. 13/826,504, filed Mar. 14,2013, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. provisionalpatent application No. 61/676,491 filed Jul. 27, 2012, the entirecontents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present application generally relates to a system and method usingpolysemous (multi-meaning) symbols.

BACKGROUND

A system and method for producing synthetic single or plural wordmessages was developed by Bruce Baker et al. and is disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 4,661,916 to Baker et al. (the Baker '916 patent) issued onApr. 28, 1987, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporatedherein by reference. The system was directed to a linguistic codingsystem and keyboard for use by people with cognitive and/or physicalimpairments. The coding system and associated keyboard was used to storeand access messages, which included words, plural word messages,phonemes, sentences, phrases, full names, letters, numbers, functions,or any combination thereof.

In such a system, the keyboard was coupled to a computer device, or wasalternately part of the stand-alone entity which included amicroprocessor, memory and display. The memory stored the messages forselective retrieval by the keyboard. The messages retrieved from thekeyboard were then fed to a voice synthesizer, for example, whichconverted them through a loudspeaker to produce audible spoken messages.On this keyboard, associated with each of a plurality of keys, werepolysemous (multi-meaning) symbols, also known as icons. By designatingselected ones of the keys and their associated symbols or icons,selected stored messages or plural word messages (including but notlimited to words, phrases and sentences) were accessed from the memoryand then subsequently output.

With the system described in the Baker '916 patent, messages stored inthe memory could be retrieved by activating a combination of symbol keysand other keys to vary the context of the polysemous symbols. Thus, aplurality of sentences could be selectively generated as a function ofpolysemous symbols in combination with other polysemous symbols. Thisallowed a user the ability to access thousands of words or messagesbased upon as little as one, two, or three keystrokes. Further, withsymbols being polysemous, thousands of symbol sequences could begenerated with only a small number of keys on a keyboard. Based uponease of use of the system, the polysemous icons or symbols utilized, andthe easily memorized symbol sequence combinations, such a system becameideal for many mentally and physically challenged users for whomspelling and typing, as well as speech itself, was extremely difficult.

The system of the Baker '916 patent allowed for an operator to godirectly from thought to speech. This was possible because each key ofthe keyboard bore a central image or symbol which was polysemous andillustrated an important aspect of life and/or linguistic function. Thekeyboards could be varied depending on the intellectual level of theintended operator. Therefore, each keyboard could in itself be alanguage which was designed for or with a specific user.

Each of the polysemous symbols was developed to be rich in associationsso that combinations of symbols could signal sentence or message ideasin the operator's memory. This enabled the generation of plural word orwhole sentence messages by the activation of only a limited number ofkeys. The device allowed for the generation of many sentences or phrasesand a large core vocabulary which could be easily retrieved from memorybecause of the ease with which the polysemous symbols on the keysportrayed the production of whole thoughts.

In the aforementioned system of the Baker '916 patent, the spatialconfiguration of the symbols on a given keyboard remained constant.Sequences of symbols in fixed places were consistent, allowing messagesto be reliably produced with the same sequence each time. This constantmapping supported the learning of motor patterns associated with symbolsequences. As such sequences were learned, the user could establishmotor programs that allow sequences to be produced quickly andaccurately in the same way a touch typist efficiently spelled many wordsor a musician played an instrument.

The aforementioned Baker '916 patent provided an excellent means ofaccessing high frequency “core” vocabulary words using sequencedpolysemous symbols. However, the system of the Baker '916 patent onlyprovided limited access to the relatively large set of low frequency“fringe” vocabulary words that would only be used periodically.

A subsequent design that provided for a way to easily access fringevocabulary utilizing non-polysemous symbols on dynamic graphical screenswas disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,303 to Baker et al. (the Baker '303patent) issued Jul. 6, 1999, the entire contents of which are herebyincorporated herein by reference. In the system of the aforementionedBaker '303 patent, non-polysemous symbols were used for accessing fringevocabulary. In the system of the Baker '303 patent, less than all of aplurality of keys on the displayed keyboard were dynamically redefinedin response to selection of a symbol or sequentially selected symbols.These dynamic characteristics produced a dynamically redefined keyboardfor accessing fringe vocabulary.

Even though the system of the aforementioned Baker '303 patent providedan improved method for accessing fringe vocabulary, it could still belimited in that it could not provide efficient access to a very largeset of fringe vocabulary words. The fringe vocabularies of adolescentsor adults may include many thousand words that are used on occasion inspecific contexts. For example, most vocabulary words that are learnedin academic or vocational settings are fringe vocabulary words relatedto specific topics. In the system of the Baker '303 patent, a subset ofthe plurality of keys on the displayed keyboard could containdynamically re-defined non-polysemous symbols for selection of fringevocabulary. In some embodiments, this subset of keys on the displayedkeyboard may include one row of twelve keys, which may be used to accessfifty different fringe words, for example. In this case, the operatormay need to use command keys to browse through a set of non-polysemoussymbols that is much larger than the number of available key locations.A control key may be used to dynamically redefine this subset of keysmultiple times until the desired symbol is presented. In the system ofthe aforementioned Baker '303 patent, the operator may need to executesix or more keystrokes to access a desired fringe vocabulary wordcorresponding to one of a large number of non-polysemous symbols.

Although many people have learned to successfully use augmentative andalternative communication systems containing embodiments of the semanticcompaction encoding techniques to communicate with very high levels oflinguistic performance, some populations of children have had difficultylearning more advanced systems where the available language iseffectively unlimited. Children with autism, in particular, may beoverwhelmed by a large array of unfamiliar polysemous symbols andpotential polysemous symbol sequences. Alternatively, they mayperseverate on one symbol while a clinician is trying to providestructured instructional activities involving sequences associated witha different polysemous symbol.

The Baker '916 patent provided for embodiments that include a keyboardwith a relatively large number of polysemous symbols suitable forindividuals with relatively high cognitive and linguistic skills, andembodiments that included a keyboard with a relatively small number ofpolysemous symbols suitable for individuals with more significantcognitive or linguistic impairments. An individual who has difficultylearning the system may benefit from a system with a simpler keyboard,but this consequently limits the availability of stored languagecontent.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,041 issued Mar. 22, 1994 (the Kushler '041 patent),the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein byreference, provided for a predictive input system which only allowed anoperator to select a polysemous symbol that would lead to the validproduction of a sequence for accessing a previously stored messageafter, an initial polysemous symbol has been selected (or even prior toselection). The subsequent Baker '303 patent provided for a dynamicallyre-defined keyboard, where individual keys were dynamically re-definableafter one or more initial polysemous symbols were selected to provideadditional visual information about potential words or messages that maybe produced by selecting one or more additional symbols. Such systemsmay support access to thousands of stored words or messages throughselection of unique sequences of polysemous symbols, and providefeedback in relation to available sequences. Although these systems maystore enough content to support selective generation of numerous uniquesentences with a relatively small number of polysemous symbols, allvalid polysemous symbol sequences and corresponding stored words andmessages are accessible to the user at all times. Thus, access to thestored language content was effectively unlimited.

In the system of the Baker '916 patent, the communication deviceincluded a keyboard coupled to a microprocessor associated with anelectrical programmable read only memory. Each key of the keyboardsincluded a relatively centrally disposed polysemous symbol, and all keyswere permanently displayed in a static configuration. A given pre-storedmessage including one or more words, for example, could be retrievedfrom the electrical programmable read-only memory by actuating aspecific sequence of keys that included polysemous symbols, where thekey sequence was associated with the given pre-stored message.

The systems of several subsequent patents improved on the designdisclosed in the Baker '916 patent while consistently maintaining arequirement that pre-stored messages be retrieved from an electronicmemory via actuation of a corresponding symbol sequence using a singlekeyboard or keyboard overlay. The system developed by Baker, et al, anddisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,210,689 to Baker, et al, (the Baker '689patent) issued on May 11, 1993, the entire contents of which are herebyincorporated herein by reference, provided for a continuous input systemthat allowed a user utilizing an icon or symbol mode to access storedmorphemes, words, phrases, or sentences by selecting sequences ofpolysemous icon symbols and allowed a user utilizing a character, wordprediction, or suffix mode to enter additional content using atext-based keyboard. In the system of the Baker '689 patent, thekeyboards for the symbol mode and character, word prediction or suffixmode overlapped in space so that a user could automatically togglebetween modes on a single keyboard without having to manually switchbetween modes.

The system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,303, issued to Baker, et alon Jul. 6, 1999 provided for a dynamic keyboard on a graphical userinterface including a plurality of keys with associated symbols that aredynamically redefinable to provide access to higher level keyboards. Inthis system, keys could be dynamically redefined based on one or moreinitially selected symbols in a sequence such that symbols ondynamically redefined keys could include embellished symbols and/ornewly displayed symbols. This system also allowed for easy access tocore vocabulary words through selection of sequenced polysemous symbolswhile providing improved access to fringe vocabulary words via selectionof the new or embellished symbols corresponding to fringe vocabularywords.

In the systems of the above-mentioned patents, and other patentssubsequent to the Baker '916 patent, sequenced polysemous symbols wereselected from a keyboard to retrieve associated stored messages from anelectronic memory. Where features of the keyboard have been dynamicallyredefined based on one or more initially selected polysemous symbols ina sequence, those dynamically redefinable features were limited tochanges in individual keys or symbols.

An alternative to the polysemous symbols disclosed in the Baker '916patent and subsequent patents involves the use of solely non-polysemous(single meaning) symbols. When solely non-polysemous symbols are used, asmall number of non-polysemous symbols, for example 20 symbols in a fourby five array, are initially introduced. Selection of one of thesenon-polysemous symbols is typically used to produce a stored message,such as a noun that is easy to represent with pictures of a pre-storedsentence. At this point, solely non-polysemous symbols may be usedeasily, and with minimal effort.

Use of solely non-polysemous symbols becomes much more challenging,however, when the number of available stored vocabulary words andsentences exceeds the number of available locations on the display ofthe communication device; when this happens, the set of non-polysemoussymbols and associated stored messages must be sorted and divided acrossa plurality of linked pages, and the operator must navigate betweenthese pages to locate and select desired messages. Typically, many ofthe non-polysemous symbols on the highest level “master” page includelinks to additional pages of non-polysemous symbols. These additionalpages may contain non-polysemous symbols that include links to even morepages, a link back to the master page, and/or some non-polysemoussymbols that are associated with stored messages.

The words on these various pages are often organized into semanticcategories. In these systems, selecting a non-polysemous symbol on themaster page that represents a superordinate semantic category links theoperator to a second page containing non-polysemous symbols associatedwith category members and/or subordinate categories. On the second page,selecting a non-polysemous symbol associated with a subordinate categoryactivates a link to a third page containing additional non-polysemoussymbols, and so on. Selecting a non-polysemous symbol associated with acategory member generates the associated stored message.

As an example, the master page on a communication device may havenon-polysemous symbols linking to the categories “people,” “food,”“school”, “fun times,” and clothing.” Selecting the non-polysemoussymbols that includes a link to the “clothing” category may link to apage containing non-polysemous symbols associated with the categorymembers “shirt,” “pants,” “underwear,” and “shoes,” as well asnon-polysemous symbols that include links to the subordinate categories“winter clothing,” “summer clothing,” and “formal clothing,” and anon-polysemous symbol including a link back to the master page.

As the vocabulary increases in size, the number of pages ofnon-polysemous symbols on such a system must necessarily increase, whichin turn increases the cognitive complexity of tasks involved in usingthe system. In order to produce any given word, the operator must recallthe categorical organization of the system well enough to identify thesuperordinate and subordinate categories that must be linked in order tonavigate to the page containing the desired word, and visually searchfor each symbol that should be selected during navigation.

For example, the operator may recall that “coat” is located under thesuperordinate category for clothing, and still not be sure whether“coat” is located under the subordinate category for “winter clothing”or “formal clothing.” This becomes a recurrent problem when navigatingmany pages. In order to store a 1,000 word vocabulary, consistent withthat of a typically developing three-year-old, a minimum of 56 linked20-location pages of non-polysemous symbols are required. When anoperator must navigate such an extensive set of categorically organizedpages, actual communication using the system may be very limited becausethe cognitive demands of page navigation are so extensive.

Recent developments in broadly available consumer technologies haveincluded tablets, smart phones, and other portable multifunction deviceswith touch-screen interfaces, such as iPADs, iPhones, and Androiddevices. These devices have allowed programmers to develop and implementa wide range of third-party application programs, including assistivetechnology programs, as long as the program was compatible with thedevice hardware and the software platform that was integral to thedevice's operating system. The software platforms on portablemultifunction devices were highly compatible with a wide range ofthird-party augmentative and alternative communication programscontaining numerous pages of non-polysemous symbols, but were notnecessarily as compatible with established embodiments of the Baker '916patent or subsequent patents using polysemous symbol systems.

Previous embodiments of the Baker '916 patent and the subsequent patentshave relied on a method of retrieving stored messages from an electronicmemory when a corresponding symbol sequence is selected on a keyboard.This process could have involved a large and complex computer programwith over a million lines of code and a database defining theinteractions between the various polysemous or non-polysemous symbols,words, and speech. Modifying such a program to be elegantly andefficiently transferred between a plurality of operating systems ontablet, smart phone, and other portable multifunction devices may havebeen very difficult or even impossible.

SUMMARY

The inventors recognize that an augmentative communication programinvolving the implementation of a series of linked electronic screenoverlays may be a more elegant and concise program to allow forrelatively efficient programming adaptations to transfer the programbetween various devices and operating systems.

At least one embodiment of the present invention is generally directedto a system (such as an AAC system for example) and/or method includingan application program utilizing sequenced polysemous symbols to accessmessages. Note that throughout the embodiments of the application, theword “message” or “messages” is used to mean any of words, plural wordmessages, phonemes, morphemes, sentences, phrases, full names, letters,numbers, functions, commands or any combination thereof.

At least one embodiment of the system and method may be directed to atleast one of:

-   -   Implementing a system, method and/or an application program that        may be adapted to a plurality of consumer devices, including        tablets, smart phones and/or other devices computer processors,        touch screen interfaces, memory and/or a plurality of different        operating systems; and/or using sequenced multi-meaning symbols        in such a system, method and/or application program.    -   Implementing an internally consistent application program,        system and/or method of sequentially linked electronic screen        overlays that are effectively navigable using sequenced        polysemous symbols.    -   Providing an application program, system and/or method for        accessing categorically organized fringe vocabulary with fewer        keystrokes using sequences of polysemous and non-polysemous        symbols on sequentially linked electronic screen overlays. For        example, this can include an application program, system and/or        method for accessing categorically organized fringe vocabulary        using a symbol sequence beginning with at least one        multi-meaning symbol, followed by a single meaning symbol on an        activity row that corresponds to a category of fringe vocabulary        words. Triggering a single meaning symbol on the activity row        that corresponds to a category may then trigger a display of a        screen of keys used to produce fringe vocabulary words that are        category members.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to amethod comprising: providing polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display; storing, in amemory, a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in associationwith a pointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay whichis different from the initial electronic screen overlay; and displayinga second electronic screen overlay on the display, in response toinitial selection of one of the provided polysemous symbols, the secondelectronic screen overlay being the electronic screen overlay associatedwith the selected polysemous symbol. The second electronic screenoverlay may be displayed in place of the initial electronic screenoverlay.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed toarticle of manufacture, comprising: a first code segment for causing acomputer device to provide polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display; a second codesegment for causing the computer device to store, in a memory, aplurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in association with apointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay which isdifferent from the initial electronic screen overlay; and a third codesegment for causing the computer device to display a second electronicscreen overlay on the display, in response to initial selection of oneof the provided polysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlaybeing the electronic screen overlay associated with the selectedpolysemous symbol.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anapparatus comprising: an integrated input and display device configuredto provide displayed polysemous symbols for selection on an initialelectronic screen overlay; and a memory configured to store a pluralityof the selectable polysemous symbols in association with a pointeridentifying display of an electronic screen overlay which is differentfrom the initial electronic screen overlay, the integrated input anddisplay device being configured to display a second electronic screenoverlay, in response to selection of one of the provided polysemoussymbols, the second electronic screen overlay being associated with theselected polysemous symbol.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to amethod, comprising: displaying, on a display, a virtual keyboardincluding a plurality of polysemous symbols for selection on an initialelectronic screen overlay; storing, in a memory, a plurality of theselectable polysemous symbols in association with a pointer identifyingdisplay of an electronic screen overlay which is different from theinitial electronic screen overlay; displaying a second electronic screenoverlay on the display, in response to initial selection of one of theprovided polysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlay beingthe electronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemoussymbol and including a virtual keyboard wherein less than all of aplurality of key locations on the virtual keyboard include anon-polysemous symbol; and outputting at least one of a word, sentence,phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase anddisplaying the initial electronic screen overlay in place of the secondelectronic screen overlay, in response to selection of one of thenon-polysemous symbols.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anapparatus, comprising: an integrated input and display configured todisplay a virtual keyboard including a plurality of polysemous symbolsfor selection on an initial electronic screen overlay; a memory,configured to store a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols inassociation with a pointer identifying display of an electronic screenoverlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay; aprocessor configured to determine initial selection of one of theprovided polysemous symbols, and configured to control the display of asecond electronic screen overlay on the integrated input and display, inresponse to the determined initial selection, the second electronicscreen overlay being the electronic screen overlay associated with theselected polysemous symbol and including a virtual keyboard wherein lessthan all of a plurality of key location on the virtual keyboard includea non-polysemous symbol; and an output device configured to output atleast one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,morpheme, command and phrase in response to selection of one of thenon-polysemous symbols, the integrated input and display device beingfurther configured to display the initial electronic screen overlay inplace of the second electronic screen overlay, in response to selectionof one of the non-polysemous symbols.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anarticle of manufacture, comprising: a first code segment for causing acomputer device to display, on a display, a virtual keyboard including aplurality of polysemous symbols for selection on an initial electronicscreen overlay; a second code segment for causing the computer device tostore, in a memory, a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols inassociation with a pointer identifying display of an electronic screenoverlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay; athird code segment for causing the computer device to displaying asecond electronic screen overlay on the display, in response to initialselection of one of the provided polysemous symbols, the secondelectronic screen overlay being the electronic screen overlay associatedwith the selected polysemous symbol and including a virtual keyboardwherein less than all of a plurality of key location on the virtualkeyboard include a non-polysemous symbol; and a fourth code segment forcausing the computer device to outputting at least one of a word,sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phraseand displaying the initial electronic screen overlay in place of thesecond electronic screen overlay, in response to selection of one of thenon-polysemous symbols.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to amethod, comprising: displaying, on a display, a virtual keyboardincluding a plurality of polysemous symbols for selection on an initialelectronic screen overlay; storing, in a memory, a plurality of theselectable polysemous symbols in association with a pointer identifyingdisplay of an electronic screen overlay which is different from theinitial electronic screen overlay; displaying a second electronic screenoverlay on the display, in response to initial selection of one of theprovided polysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlay beingthe electronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemoussymbol and including a virtual keyboard wherein less than all of aplurality of key location on the virtual keyboard include anon-polysemous symbol; and displaying a third electronic screen overlayon the display in place of the second electronic screen overlay, inresponse to selection of one of the non-polysemous symbols.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anapparatus, comprising: an integrated input and display configured todisplay a virtual keyboard including a plurality of polysemous symbolsfor selection on an initial electronic screen overlay; a memory,configured to store a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols inassociation with a pointer identifying display of an electronic screenoverlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay;and a processor configured to determine initial selection of one of theprovided polysemous symbols, and configured to control the display of asecond electronic screen overlay on the integrated input and display, inresponse to the determined initial selection, the second electronicscreen overlay being the electronic screen overlay associated with theselected polysemous symbol and including a virtual keyboard wherein lessthan all of a plurality of key location on the virtual keyboard includea non-polysemous symbol, the integrated input and display device beingfurther configured to display a third electronic screen overlay on thedisplay in place of the second electronic screen overlay, in response tothe processor determining selection of one of the non-polysemoussymbols.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anarticle of manufacture, comprising: a first code segment for causing acomputer device to display, on a display, a virtual keyboard including aplurality of polysemous symbols for selection on an initial electronicscreen overlay; a second code segment for causing the computer device tostore, in a memory, a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols inassociation with a pointer identifying display of an electronic screenoverlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay; athird code segment for causing the computer device to display a secondelectronic screen overlay on the display, in response to initialselection of one of the provided polysemous symbols, the secondelectronic screen overlay being the electronic screen overlay associatedwith the selected polysemous symbol and including a virtual keyboardwherein less than all of a plurality of key location on the virtualkeyboard include a non-polysemous symbol; and a fourth code segment forcausing the computer device to display a third electronic screen overlayon the display in place of the second electronic screen overlay, inresponse to selection of one of the non-polysemous symbols.

The inventors further recognize that an augmentative communicationprogram involving the implementation of a series of linked electronicscreen overlays may be a more elegant and concise program to allow forrelatively efficient programming adaptations to transfer the programbetween various devices and operating systems. Further, an augmentativecommunication program involving the implementation of a series of linkedelectronic screen overlays may also allow for the implementation ofadditional symbol/key location embellishments to help disambiguatecharacteristics of polysemous symbol sequences as they are generated ona keystroke-by-keystroke basis, and that such embellishments may assistless experienced operators as they learn to use polysemous symbolsequences.

At least one embodiment of the present invention is generally directedto a system (such as an AAC system for example) and/or method includingan application program utilizing sequenced polysemous symbols to accessmessages. Note that throughout the embodiments of the application, theword “message” or “messages” is used to mean any of words, plural wordmessages, phonemes, morphemes, sentences, phrases, full names, letters,numbers, functions, commands or any combination thereof.

At least one embodiment of the system and/or method of the presentapplication may be directed to at least one of:

-   -   Implementing a system, method and/or an application program that        may be adapted to a plurality of consumer devices, including        tablets, smart phones and/or other devices computer processors,        touch screen interfaces, memory and/or a plurality of different        operating systems; and/or using sequenced multi-meaning symbols        in such a system, method and/or application program.    -   Implementing an internally consistent application program,        system and/or method of sequentially linked electronic screen        overlays that are effectively navigable using sequenced        polysemous symbols.    -   Providing an application program, system and/or method for        accessing categorically organized fringe vocabulary with fewer        keystrokes using sequences of polysemous and non-polysemous        symbols on sequentially linked electronic screen overlays. For        example, this can include an application program, system and/or        method for accessing categorically organized fringe vocabulary        using a symbol sequence beginning with at least one        multi-meaning symbol, followed by a single meaning symbol on an        activity row that corresponds to a category of fringe vocabulary        words. Triggering a single meaning symbol on the activity row        that corresponds to a category may then trigger a display of a        screen of keys used to produce fringe vocabulary words that are        category members.    -   Providing an application program, system and/or method including        additional symbol/key location embellishments that provide the        user with new information about symbol sequences and/or words        that can be produced by selecting a given symbol, including:        -   1. Symbol embellishments that may help a user differentiate            between a symbol that will produce a speech and/or text            output (a terminal symbol in a sequence) and a symbol that            may occur earlier in a sequence (an initial or intermediate            symbol) that will link to another electronic screen overlay            of symbols that may be selected to complete the current            symbol sequence. Such embellishments may include:            -   Inclusion of an additional symbol such as a recycle                symbol for example, to represent a link to another                screen of symbols that may be selected to complete the                current symbol sequence;            -   Terminal symbols: using lower-case text label for                example;            -   Initial/Intermediate symbols: Using upper-case text                label, graphic indicator in corner of key location;                and/or        -   2. Color-coding intermediate symbols based on grammatical            function or part-of-speech to provide information about            words that can be produced by selecting the intermediate            symbol and a terminal symbol on the next sequentially linked            screen.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to amethod, comprising: providing polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display; storing, in amemory, a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in associationwith a pointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay whichis different from the initial electronic screen overlay; and displayinga second electronic screen overlay on the display, in response toinitial selection of one of the provided polysemous symbols, the secondelectronic screen overlay being the electronic screen overlay associatedwith the selected polysemous symbol, wherein a plurality of polysemoussymbols on sequentially linked electronic screen overlays include atleast one symbol useable as a terminal symbol in polysemous symbolsequences to produce respective words with a same grammatical functionor belonging to a same part of speech.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anarticle of manufacture, comprising: a first code segment for causing thecomputer device to provide polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display; a second codesegment for causing the computer device to store, in a memory, aplurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in association with apointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay which isdifferent from the initial electronic screen overlay; and a third codesegment for causing the computer device to display a second electronicscreen overlay on the display, in response to initial selection of oneof the provided polysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlaybeing the electronic screen overlay associated with the selectedpolysemous symbol, wherein a plurality of polysemous symbols onsequentially linked electronic screen overlays include at least onesymbol useable as a terminal symbol in polysemous symbol sequences toproduce respective words with a same grammatical function or belongingto a same part of speech.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anapparatus, comprising: an integrated input and display device configuredto display an initial electronic screen overlay and configured toprovide polysemous symbols for selection on an initial electronic screenoverlay displayed on a display; a memory to store a plurality of theselectable polysemous symbols in association with a pointer identifyingdisplay of an electronic screen overlay which is different from theinitial electronic screen overlay; and a processor to receive anindication of selection of one of the provided polysemous symbols, theintegrated input and display device being further configured to displaya second electronic screen overlay on the display, in response to theprocessor receiving the indication of selection of one of the providedpolysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlay being theelectronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemoussymbol, wherein a plurality of polysemous symbols on sequentially linkedelectronic screen overlays include at least one symbol useable as aterminal symbol in polysemous symbol sequences to produce respectivewords with a same grammatical function or belonging to a same part ofspeech.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to amethod, comprising: providing polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display, a plurality ofthe polysemous symbols having a same grammatical function or belongingto a same part of speech being displayed with a common background color;storing, in a memory, a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbolsin association with a pointer identifying display of an electronicscreen overlay which is different from the initial electronic screenoverlay; and displaying a second electronic screen overlay on thedisplay, in response to initial selection of one of the providedpolysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlay being theelectronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemoussymbol, wherein at least one of plurality of polysemous symbolsdisplayed for selection on the second electronic screen overlay includesa background color that is different from a background color of asimilarly situated polysemous symbol previously displayed for selectionon the initial electronic screen overlay.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anarticle of manufacture, comprising: a first code segment for causing thecomputer device to provide polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display, a plurality ofthe polysemous symbols having a same grammatical function or belongingto a same part of speech being displayed with a common background color;a second code segment for causing the computer device to store, in amemory, a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in associationwith a pointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay whichis different from the initial electronic screen overlay; and a thirdcode segment for causing the computer device to display a secondelectronic screen overlay on the display, in response to initialselection of one of the provided polysemous symbols, the secondelectronic screen overlay being the electronic screen overlay associatedwith the selected polysemous symbol, wherein at least one of pluralityof polysemous symbols displayed for selection on the second electronicscreen overlay includes a background color that is different from abackground color of a similarly situated polysemous symbol previouslydisplayed for selection on the initial electronic screen overlay.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anapparatus, comprising: an integrated input and display device configuredto display an initial electronic screen overlay and configured toprovide polysemous symbols for selection on the initial electronicscreen overlay, a plurality of the polysemous symbols having a samegrammatical function or belonging to a same part of speech beingdisplayed with a common background color; a memory configured to store aplurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in association with apointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay which isdifferent from the initial electronic screen overlay; and a processor,configured to control the integrated input and display device to displaya second electronic screen overlay, in response to the processorreceiving an indication of initial selection of one of the providedpolysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlay being theelectronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemoussymbol, wherein at least one of plurality of polysemous symbolsdisplayed for selection on the second electronic screen overlay includesa background color that is different from a background color of asimilarly situated polysemous symbol previously displayed for selectionon the initial electronic screen overlay.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to amethod, comprising: providing polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display, a plurality ofthe provided polysemous symbols including a visual indicator indicatinga link to a next level electronic screen overlay which is different fromthe initial electronic screen overlay; storing, in a memory and inassociation with each one of the plurality of polysemous symbols, apointer identifying display of the next level electronic screen overlaywhich is different from the initial electronic screen overlay; anddisplaying the next level electronic screen overlay which is differentfrom the initial electronic screen overlay on the display, in responseto initial selection of a respective one of the plurality of polysemoussymbols including the visual indicator, the next level electronic screenoverlay being the electronic screen overlay associated with the selectedpolysemous symbol.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anapparatus, comprising: an integrated input and display device configuredto provide polysemous symbols for selection on an initial electronicscreen overlay, a plurality of the provided polysemous symbols includinga visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronic screenoverlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay;and a memory configured to store, in association with each one of theplurality of polysemous symbols, a pointer identifying display of thenext level electronic screen overlay which is different from the initialelectronic screen overlay, the integrated input and display device beingconfigured to display the next level electronic screen overlay which isdifferent from the initial electronic screen overlay, in response toinitial selection of a respective one of the plurality of polysemoussymbols including the visual indicator, the next level electronic screenoverlay being the electronic screen overlay associated with the selectedpolysemous symbol.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anarticle of manufacture, comprising: a first code segment for causing thecomputer device to provide polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display, a plurality ofthe provided polysemous symbols including a visual indicator indicatinga link to a next level electronic screen overlay which is different fromthe initial electronic screen overlay; a second code segment for causingthe computer device to store, in a memory and in association with eachone of the plurality of polysemous symbols, a pointer identifyingdisplay of the next level electronic screen overlay which is differentfrom the initial electronic screen overlay; and a third code segment forcausing the computer device to display the next level electronic screenoverlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay onthe display, in response to initial selection of a respective one of theplurality of polysemous symbols including the visual indicator, the nextlevel electronic screen overlay being the electronic screen overlayassociated with the selected polysemous symbol.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating components of an example portablemultifunction device with a touch-sensitive display;

FIG. 2 illustrates an example portable multifunction device having atouch sensitive display;

FIG. 3A illustrates an example embodiment of the application program ofan embodiment of the present invention running on a portablemultifunction device which is a tablet type consumer computer device,including a touch sensitive display;

FIG. 3B illustrates an example embodiment of the application program ofan embodiment of the present invention running on a portablemultifunction device which is a smart phone type consumer device,including a touch sensitive display;

FIGS. 4 A-J illustrate example embodiments of electronic screenoverlays;

FIGS. 5 A-D illustrate example embodiments of electronic screenoverlays; and

FIG. 6 illustrates an example embodiment of an electronic screen overlaywith non-polysemous symbols.

It should be noted that these Figures are intended to illustrate thegeneral characteristics of methods, structure and/or materials utilizedin certain example embodiments and to supplement the written descriptionprovided below. These drawings are not, however, to scale and may notprecisely reflect the precise structural or performance characteristicsof any given embodiment, and should not be interpreted as defining orlimiting the range of values or properties encompassed by exampleembodiments. For example, the relative thicknesses and positioning ofmolecules, layers, regions and/or structural elements may be reduced orexaggerated for clarity. The use of similar or identical referencenumbers in the various drawings is intended to indicate the presence ofa similar or identical element or feature.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Various example embodiments will now be described more fully withreference to the accompanying drawings in which only some exampleembodiments are shown. Specific structural and functional detailsdisclosed herein are merely representative for purposes of describingexample embodiments. The present invention, however, may be embodied inmany alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to only theexample embodiments set forth herein.

Accordingly, while example embodiments of the invention are capable ofvarious modifications and alternative forms, embodiments thereof areshown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described indetail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent tolimit example embodiments of the present invention to the particularforms disclosed. On the contrary, example embodiments are to cover allmodifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope ofthe invention. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout thedescription of the figures.

Before discussing example embodiments in more detail, it is noted thatsome example embodiments are described as processes or methods. Althoughthe processes describe the operations as sequential processes, many ofthe operations may be performed in parallel, concurrently orsimultaneously. In addition, the order of operations may be re-arranged.The processes may be terminated when their operations are completed, butmay also have additional steps not included. The processes maycorrespond to methods, functions, procedures, subroutines, subprograms,etc.

Methods discussed below may be implemented by hardware, software,firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or anycombination thereof. When implemented in software, firmware, middlewareor microcode, the program code or code segments to perform the necessarytasks will be stored in a machine or computer readable medium such as astorage medium or non-transitory computer readable medium. Aprocessor(s) will perform the necessary tasks.

Specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merelyrepresentative for purposes of describing example embodiments of thepresent invention. This invention may, however, be embodied in manyalternate forms and should not be construed as limited to only theembodiments set forth herein.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. maybe used herein to describe various elements, these elements should notbe limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish oneelement from another. For example, a first element could be termed asecond element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a firstelement, without departing from the scope of example embodiments of thepresent invention. As used herein, the term “and/or,” includes any andall combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being“connected,” or “coupled,” to another element, it can be directlyconnected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may bepresent. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directlyconnected,” or “directly coupled,” to another element, there are nointervening elements present. Other words used to describe therelationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion(e.g., “between,” versus “directly between,” “adjacent,” versus“directly adjacent,” etc.).

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of exampleembodiments of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,”“an,” and “the,” are intended to include the plural forms as well,unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, theterms “and/or” and “at least one of” include any and all combinations ofone or more of the associated listed items. It will be furtherunderstood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and/or“including,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features,integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do notpreclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groupsthereof.

It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, thefunctions/acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures.For example, two figures shown in succession may in fact be executedsubstantially concurrently or may sometimes be executed in the reverseorder, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientificterms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art to which example embodiments belong. Itwill be further understood that terms, e.g., those defined in commonlyused dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that isconsistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art andwill not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unlessexpressly so defined herein.

Portions of the example embodiments and corresponding detaileddescription may be presented in terms of software, or algorithms andsymbolic representations of operation on data bits within a computermemory. These descriptions and representations are the ones by whichthose of ordinary skill in the art effectively convey the substance oftheir work to others of ordinary skill in the art. An algorithm, as theterm is used here, and as it is used generally, is conceived to be aself-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result. The stepsare those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities.Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form ofoptical, electrical, or magnetic signals capable of being stored,transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It hasproven convenient at times, principally for reasons of common usage, torefer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters,terms, numbers, or the like.

In the following description, illustrative embodiments may be describedwith reference to acts and symbolic representations of operations thatmay be implemented as program modules or functional processes includeroutines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., thatperform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types andmay be implemented using existing hardware at existing network elements.Such existing hardware may include one or more Central Processing Units(CPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs),application-specific-integrated-circuits, field programmable gate arrays(FPGAs) computers or the like.

Note also that the software implemented aspects of the exampleembodiments may be typically encoded on some form of program storagemedium or implemented over some type of transmission medium. The programstorage medium (e.g., non-transitory storage medium) may be magnetic(e.g., a floppy disk or a hard drive) or optical (e.g., a compact diskread only memory, or “CD ROM”), and may be read only or random access.Similarly, the transmission medium may be twisted wire pairs, coaxialcable, optical fiber, or some other suitable transmission medium knownto the art. The example embodiments not limited by these aspects of anygiven implementation.

It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these and similar termsare to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and aremerely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unlessspecifically stated otherwise, or as is apparent from the discussion,terms such as “processing” or “computing” or “calculating” or“determining” of “displaying” or the like, refer to the action andprocesses of a computer system, or similar electronic computingdevice/hardware, that manipulates and transforms data represented asphysical, electronic quantities within the computer system's registersand memories into other data similarly represented as physicalquantities within the computer system memories or registers or othersuch information storage, transmission or display devices.

Spatially relative terms, such as “beneath”, “below”, “lower”, “above”,“upper”, and the like, may be used herein for ease of description todescribe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) orfeature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that thespatially relative terms are intended to encompass differentorientations of the device in use or operation in addition to theorientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in thefigures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” otherelements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elementsor features. Thus, term such as “below” can encompass both anorientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented(rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relativedescriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly.

Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describevarious elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, it shouldbe understood that these elements, components, regions, layers and/orsections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used onlyto distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or section fromanother region, layer, or section. Thus, a first element, component,region, layer, or section discussed below could be termed a secondelement, component, region, layer, or section without departing from theteachings of the present invention.

Embodiments of a portable multifunction device, user interfaces for suchdevices, and associated processes for using such devices are describedherein. In some embodiments, the portable multifunction device is aportable communications device such as a mobile telephone that alsocontains other functions, such as PDA and/or music player functions. Itshould be noted that the portable multifunction device describedhereafter is an example of a device capable of performing themethodology provided in the present application and discussed in detailhereafter, and that the methodologies of the embodiments of the presentapplication can be performed on the hereafter discussed portablemultifunction device, but are not necessarily limited thereto.

The portable multifunction device may support a variety of applicationprograms or applications, such as a telephone application, a videoconferencing application, an e-mail application, an instant messagingapplication, a blogging application, a digital camera application, adigital video camera application, a web browsing application, a digitalmusic player application, and/or a digital video player application.

The various applications that may be executed on the portablemultifunction device may use at least one common physical user-interfacedevice, such as the touch screen. One or more functions of the touchscreen as well as corresponding information displayed on the portablemultifunction device may be adjusted and/or varied from one applicationto the next and/or within a respective application. In this way, acommon physical architecture (such as the touch screen) of the portablemultifunction device may support the variety of applications with userinterfaces that are intuitive and transparent.

The user interfaces may include one or more soft keyboard embodiments.The keyboard embodiments may include a reduced number of icons (or softkeys) relative to the number of keys in existing physical keyboards,such as that for a typewriter. This may make it easier for users toselect one or more icons in the keyboard, and thus, one or morecorresponding symbols. The keyboard embodiments may be adaptive. Forexample, displayed icons may be modified in accordance with useractions, such as selecting one or more icons and/or one or morecorresponding symbols. One or more applications on the portable devicemay utilize common and/or different keyboard embodiments. Thus, thekeyboard embodiment used may be tailored to at least some of theapplications. In some embodiments, one or more keyboard embodiments maybe tailored to a respective user. For example, based on a word usagehistory (lexicography, slang, individual usage) of the respective user.Some of the keyboard embodiments may be adjusted to reduce a probabilityof a user error when selecting one or more icons, and thus one or moresymbols, when using the soft keyboard embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example embodiment of aportable multifunction device 100 with a touch-sensitive display 112.The touch-sensitive display 112 is sometimes referred to herein as a“touch screen”, “touch panel” “integrated input and display device”, or“display system 112” for convenience. The portable multifunction device100 may include a memory 102 (which may include one or more computerreadable storage mediums for example), a memory controller 122, one ormore computer processing units (CPU's, sometimes referred to herein as a“processor” or “controller” for convenience) 120. These components maycommunicate over one or more communication buses or signal lines 103.

It should be appreciated that the portable multifunction device 100 isonly one example of a portable multifunction device, and that theportable multifunction device supporting various embodiments of thepresent application described hereafter may have more or fewercomponents than shown, may combine two or more components, or a may havea different configuration or arrangement of the components, etc.

The touch-sensitive display system 112 provides an input interface andan output interface between the portable multifunction device 100 and auser (hence the previous reference to integrated input and displaydevice). The touch-sensitive display system 112 displays visual outputto the user. The visual output may include for example, graphics, text,icons, video, and any combination thereof (collectively termed“graphics”). Additional outputs can be that of, for example, a printer(not shown), an audible output via a speaker 111 and audio circuitry110, and/or other output devices. Peripheral interfaces 118 can beincluded between the processor(s) 120/controller 122 and the outputdevices (touch-sensitive display system 112, and audio circuitry110/speaker 111).

The touch screen in the touch-sensitive display system 112 may use LCD(liquid crystal display) technology, or LPD (light emitting polymerdisplay) technology, although other display technologies may be used inthe embodiments of the invention as well, and is not limited as such.

In some embodiments, in addition to the touch screen in thetouch-sensitive display system 112, the portable multifunction device100 may include a touchpad (not shown) for activating or deactivatingparticular functions. In some embodiments, the touchpad may be atouch-sensitive area of the device that, unlike the touch screen, doesnot display visual output. The touchpad may be a touch-sensitive surfacethat is separate from the touch screen in the display system 112 or anextension of the touch-sensitive surface formed by the touch screen.Further, other types of known input devices (keyboard, mouse,microphone, etc.) and/or output devices (speaker, printer, etc.) mayalso be integrated therein/connected thereto.

Application programs 136 of embodiments of the present application,including those utilizing sequenced polysemous symbols to accessmessages (sequenced polysemous symbols module 137), can also be storedin memory 102. Such application programs 136 of various embodiments ofthe present application, as will be discussed hereafter can beimplemented on the portable multifunction device 100 and/or canimplement the methods discussed above and hereafter.

FIG. 2 illustrates a portable multifunction device 100 having a touchscreen 112 in accordance with some embodiments. The touch screen 112 maydisplay one or more graphics. These graphics can include symbols, icons,text, a virtual keyboard with virtual keys, etc., such as thosedescribed in the embodiments hereafter. In an embodiment, as well asothers described below, a user may select one or more of the graphics bymaking contact or touching the graphics, for example, with one or morefingers 202 (not drawn to scale in the figure).

It should be noted that the apparatus described above with reference toFIGS. 1 and 2 references a general description of hardware for anapparatus described hereafter regarding embodiments of the presentapplication, as well as a general description of hardware for anapparatus to implement the methods and programs described belowregarding embodiments of the invention.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to amethod comprising: providing polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display; storing, in amemory, a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in associationwith a pointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay whichis different from the initial electronic screen overlay; and displayinga second electronic screen overlay on the display, in response toinitial selection of one of the provided polysemous symbols, the secondelectronic screen overlay being the electronic screen overlay associatedwith the selected polysemous symbol. The second electronic screenoverlay may be displayed in place of the initial electronic screenoverlay.

The method may further include receiving via a processor, an indicationof selection of the one of the provided polysemous symbols; andcontrolling, via the processor, the display to display the secondelectronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemous symbolupon the processor receiving the indication of selection.

The method may further include receiving via a processor, an indicationof selection of the one of the provided polysemous symbols; andcontrolling, via the processor, the display to display the secondelectronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemous symbolin place of the initial electronic screen overlay upon the processorreceiving the indication of selection.

The method may further include outputting at least one of a word,sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrasein response to selection of one of the provided symbols on the displayedsecond electronic screen overlay, the output at least one of a word,sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrasebeing stored in the memory in association with a symbol sequenceincluding the initially selected polysemous symbol and the selected oneof the provided symbols on the displayed second electronic screenoverlay.

The method may further include receiving, via the processor, anindication of selection of one of the provided symbols on the displayedsecond electronic screen overlay; and controlling, via the processor,output of at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter,number, morpheme, command and phrase in response the processor receivingan indication of selection of one of the provided symbols on thedisplayed second electronic screen overlay, the output at least one of aword, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command andphrase being stored in the memory in association with a symbol sequenceincluding the initially selected polysemous symbol and the selected oneof the provided symbols on the displayed second electronic screenoverlay.

The method may further include storing a plurality of the selectablepolysemous symbols, displayed on the second electronic screen overlay,in association with a pointer identifying display of third electronicscreen overlay which is different from the second electronic screenoverlay; and displaying a third electronic screen overlay on thedisplay, in response to selection of one of the selectable polysemoussymbols of the displayed second electronic screen overlay, the thirdelectronic screen overlay being associated with the selected one of thepolysemous symbols of the displayed second electronic screen overlay.

The third electronic screen overlay may be displayed in place of thesecond electronic screen overlay.

The method may further include receiving via a processor, an indicationof selection of the one of the polysemous symbols displayed on thesecond electronic screen overlay; and controlling, via the processor,the display to display the third electronic screen overlay associatedwith the selected one of the polysemous symbols displayed on the secondelectronic screen overlay upon the processor receiving the indication ofselection.

The method may further include outputting at least one of a word,sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrasein response to selection of one of the provided symbols on the displayedthird electronic screen overlay, the output at least one of a word,sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrasebeing stored in the memory in association with a symbol sequenceincluding the initially selected polysemous symbol, the selected one ofthe provided symbols on the displayed second electronic screen overlay,and the selected one of the provided symbols on the displayed thirdelectronic screen overlay.

The method may further include receiving, via the processor, anindication of selection of one of the provided symbols on the displayedthird electronic screen overlay; and controlling, via the processor,output of at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter,number, morpheme, command and phrase in response the processor receivingan indication of selection of one of the provided symbols on thedisplayed third electronic screen overlay, the output at least one of aword, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command andphrase being stored in the memory in association with a symbol sequenceincluding the initially selected polysemous symbol, the selected one ofthe provided symbols on the displayed second electronic screen overlay,and the selected one of the provided symbols on the displayed thirdelectronic screen overlay.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed toarticle of manufacture, comprising: a first code segment for causing acomputer device to provide polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display; a second codesegment for causing the computer device to store, in a memory, aplurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in association with apointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay which isdifferent from the initial electronic screen overlay; and a third codesegment for causing the computer device to display a second electronicscreen overlay on the display, in response to initial selection of oneof the provided polysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlaybeing the electronic screen overlay associated with the selectedpolysemous symbol.

The third code segment may further be for causing the computer device,in response to receiving an indication of selection of one of theprovided polysemous symbols, to display the associated electronic screenoverlay in place of the initial electronic screen overlay.

The article of manufacture may further include a fourth code segment forcausing the computer device to output at least one of a word, sentence,phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase inresponse to selection of one of the provided symbols on the displayedsecond electronic screen overlay, the output at least one of a word,sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrasebeing stored in the memory in association with a symbol sequenceincluding the initially selected polysemous symbol and the selected oneof the provided symbols on the displayed second electronic screenoverlay.

The article of manufacture may further include a fourth code segment forcausing the computer device to store a plurality of the selectablepolysemous symbols, displayed on the second electronic screen overlay,in association with a pointer identifying display of third electronicscreen overlay which is different from the second electronic screenoverlay; and a fifth code segment for causing the computer device todisplay a third electronic screen overlay on the display, in response toselection of one of the selectable polysemous symbols of the displayedsecond electronic screen overlay, the third electronic screen overlaybeing associated with the selected one of the polysemous symbols of thedisplayed second electronic screen overlay.

The fourth code segment may further be for causing the computer deviceto display the third electronic screen overlay in place of the secondelectronic screen overlay.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anapparatus comprising: an integrated input and display device configuredto provide displayed polysemous symbols for selection on an initialelectronic screen overlay; and a memory configured to store a pluralityof the selectable polysemous symbols in association with a pointeridentifying display of an electronic screen overlay which is differentfrom the initial electronic screen overlay, the integrated input anddisplay device being configured to display a second electronic screenoverlay, in response to selection of one of the provided polysemoussymbols, the second electronic screen overlay being associated with theselected polysemous symbol.

The second electronic screen overlay displayed on the integrated inputand display device may be displayed, in response to receiving anindication of selection of the associated one of the provided polysemoussymbols, in place of the initial electronic screen overlay.

The apparatus may further include a processor, configured to receive anindication of selection of the one of the provided polysemous symbolsand configured to control the integrated input and display device todisplay the second electronic screen overlay associated with theselected polysemous symbol upon the processor receiving the indicationof selection.

The processor may be further configured to receive an indication ofselection of the one of the provided polysemous symbols and to controlthe display to display the second electronic screen overlay associatedwith the selected polysemous symbol in place of the initial electronicscreen overlay upon the processor receiving the indication of selection.

The apparatus may further include an output device configure to outputat least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,morpheme, command and phrase in response to selection of one of theprovided symbols on the displayed second electronic screen overlay, theoutput at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter,number, morpheme, command and phrase being stored in the memory inassociation with a symbol sequence including the initially selectedpolysemous symbol and the selected one of the provided symbols on thedisplayed second electronic screen overlay.

The apparatus may further include a processor, configured to receive anindication of selection of one of the provided symbols on the displayedsecond electronic screen overlay and configured to control the output ofat least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,morpheme, command and phrase in response the processor receiving anindication of selection of one of the provided symbols on the displayedsecond electronic screen overlay, the output at least one of a word,sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrasebeing stored in the memory in association with a symbol sequenceincluding the initially selected polysemous symbol and the selected oneof the provided symbols on the displayed second electronic screenoverlay.

The memory may be further configured to store a plurality of theselectable polysemous symbols, displayed on the second electronic screenoverlay, in association with a pointer identifying display of thirdelectronic screen overlay which is different from the second electronicscreen overlay and wherein the integrated input and display isconfigured to display a third electronic screen overlay, in response toselection of one of the selectable polysemous symbols of the displayedsecond electronic screen overlay, the third electronic screen overlaybeing associated with the selected one of the polysemous symbols of thedisplayed second electronic screen overlay.

A third electronic screen overlay may be displayed in place of thesecond electronic screen overlay.

The apparatus may further include a processor, configured to receive anindication of selection of the one of the polysemous symbols displayedon the second electronic screen overlay and configured to control thedisplay to display the third electronic screen overlay associated withthe selected one of the polysemous symbols displayed on the secondelectronic screen overlay upon the processor receiving the indication ofselection.

The apparatus may further include an output device configured to outputat least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,morpheme, command and phrase in response to selection of one of theprovided symbols on the displayed third electronic screen overlay, theoutput at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter,number, morpheme, command and phrase being stored in the memory inassociation with a symbol sequence including the initially selectedpolysemous symbol, the selected one of the provided symbols on thedisplayed second electronic screen overlay, and the selected one of theprovided symbols on the displayed third electronic screen overlay.

The processor may be configured to receive an indication of selection ofone of the provided symbols on the displayed third electronic screenoverlay and is configured to control output of at least one of a word,sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrasein response the processor receiving an indication of selection of one ofthe provided symbols on the displayed third electronic screen overlay,the output at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter,number, morpheme, command and phrase being stored in the memory inassociation with a symbol sequence including the initially selectedpolysemous symbol, the selected one of the provided symbols on thedisplayed second electronic screen overlay, and the selected one of theprovided symbols on the displayed third electronic screen overlay.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to amethod comprising: providing polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display; storing, in amemory, a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in associationwith a pointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay whichis different from the initial electronic screen overlay; and displayinga second electronic screen overlay on the display, in response toinitial selection of one of the provided polysemous symbols, the secondelectronic screen overlay being the electronic screen overlay associatedwith the selected polysemous symbol, wherein a plurality of polysemoussymbols on sequentially linked electronic screen overlays include atleast one symbol useable as a terminal symbol in polysemous symbolsequences to produce respective words with a same grammatical functionor belonging to a same part of speech.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed toarticle of manufacture, comprising: a first code segment for causing thecomputer device to provide polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display; a second codesegment for causing the computer device to store, in a memory, aplurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in association with apointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay which isdifferent from the initial electronic screen overlay; and a third codesegment for causing the computer device to display a second electronicscreen overlay on the display, in response to initial selection of oneof the provided polysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlaybeing the electronic screen overlay associated with the selectedpolysemous symbol, wherein a plurality of polysemous symbols onsequentially linked electronic screen overlays include at least onesymbol useable as a terminal symbol in polysemous symbol sequences toproduce respective words with a same grammatical function or belongingto a same part of speech.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anapparatus comprising: an integrated input and display device configuredto display an initial electronic screen overlay and configured toprovide polysemous symbols for selection on an initial electronic screenoverlay displayed on a display; a memory to store a plurality of theselectable polysemous symbols in association with a pointer identifyingdisplay of an electronic screen overlay which is different from theinitial electronic screen overlay; and a processor to receive anindication of selection of one of the provided polysemous symbols, theintegrated input and display device being further configured to displaya second electronic screen overlay on the display, in response to theprocessor receiving the indication of selection of one of the providedpolysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlay being theelectronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemoussymbol, wherein a plurality of polysemous symbols on sequentially linkedelectronic screen overlays include at least one symbol useable as aterminal symbol in polysemous symbol sequences to produce respectivewords with a same grammatical function or belonging to a same part ofspeech.

In at least one embodiment of the method, apparatus, and/or the articleof manufacture, the same grammatical function or part of speech mayinclude at least one of a verb form, an adjective form, and a noun form.Also, each of the at least one symbol, useable as the terminal symbol inpolysemous symbol sequences, may include an indicator unique topolysemous symbols corresponding to the same grammatical function orpart of speech. In addition, the indicator may be displayed consistentlyon the initial and second overlay. Still further, the second electronicscreen overlay may include at least one polysemous symbol that functionsas the terminal symbol in one or more polysemous symbol sequences totrigger output of one or more at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase corresponding tothe same grammatical function or part of speech.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to amethod, comprising: providing polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display, a plurality ofthe polysemous symbols with a same grammatical function or belonging toa same part of speech being displayed with a common background color;storing, in a memory, a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbolsin association with a pointer identifying display of an electronicscreen overlay which is different from the initial electronic screenoverlay; and displaying a second electronic screen overlay on thedisplay, in response to initial selection of one of the providedpolysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlay being theelectronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemoussymbol, wherein at least one of plurality of polysemous symbolsdisplayed for selection on the second electronic screen overlay includesa background color that is different from a background color of asimilarly situated polysemous symbol previously displayed for selectionon the initial electronic screen overlay.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed toarticle of manufacture, comprising: a first code segment for causing thecomputer device to provide polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display, a plurality ofthe polysemous symbols with a same grammatical function or belonging toa same part of speech being displayed with a common background color; asecond code segment for causing the computer device to store, in amemory, a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in associationwith a pointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay whichis different from the initial electronic screen overlay; and a thirdcode segment for causing the computer device to display a secondelectronic screen overlay on the display, in response to initialselection of one of the provided polysemous symbols, the secondelectronic screen overlay being the electronic screen overlay associatedwith the selected polysemous symbol, wherein at least one of pluralityof polysemous symbols displayed for selection on the second electronicscreen overlay includes a background color that is different from abackground color of a similarly situated polysemous symbol previouslydisplayed for selection on the initial electronic screen overlay.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anapparatus comprising: an integrated input and display device configuredto display an initial electronic screen overlay and configured toprovide polysemous symbols for selection on the initial electronicscreen overlay, a plurality of the polysemous symbols with a samegrammatical function or belonging to a same part of speech beingdisplayed with a common background color; a memory configured to store aplurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in association with apointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay which isdifferent from the initial electronic screen overlay; and a processor,configured to control the integrated input and display device to displaya second electronic screen overlay, in response to the processorreceiving an indication of initial selection of one of the providedpolysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlay being theelectronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemoussymbol, wherein at least one of plurality of polysemous symbolsdisplayed for selection on the second electronic screen overlay includesa background color that is different from a background color of asimilarly situated polysemous symbol previously displayed for selectionon the initial electronic screen overlay.

In at least one embodiment of the method, apparatus, and/or the articleof manufacture, the at least one polysemous symbol displayed forselection on the second electronic screen overlay including a differentbackground color includes a background color common to polysemoussymbols, displayed for selection on an initial electronic screenoverlay, with a same grammatical function or belonging to a same part ofspeech as the at least one polysemous symbol displayed for selection onthe second electronic screen overlay. Further, the grammatical functionor part of speech may include at least one of a verb form, an adjectiveform, and a noun form. Still further, the second electronic screenoverlay may include at least one polysemous symbol that functions as theterminal symbol in one or more polysemous symbol sequences to triggeroutput of one or more at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase corresponding tothe same grammatical function or part of speech.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to amethod, comprising: providing polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display, a plurality ofthe provided polysemous symbols including a visual indicator indicatinga link to a next level electronic screen overlay which is different fromthe initial electronic screen overlay; storing, in a memory and inassociation with each one of the plurality of polysemous symbols, apointer identifying display of the next level electronic screen overlaywhich is different from the initial electronic screen overlay; anddisplaying the next level electronic screen overlay which is differentfrom the initial electronic screen overlay on the display, in responseto initial selection of a respective one of the plurality of polysemoussymbols including the visual indicator, the next level electronic screenoverlay being the electronic screen overlay associated with the selectedpolysemous symbol.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anapparatus comprising: an integrated input and display device configuredto provide polysemous symbols for selection on an initial electronicscreen overlay, a plurality of the provided polysemous symbols includinga visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronic screenoverlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay; amemory configured to store, in association with each one of theplurality of polysemous symbols, a pointer identifying display of thenext level electronic screen overlay which is different from the initialelectronic screen overlay, the integrated input and display device beingconfigured to display the next level electronic screen overlay which isdifferent from the initial electronic screen overlay, in response toinitial selection of a respective one of the plurality of polysemoussymbols including the visual indicator, the next level electronic screenoverlay being the electronic screen overlay associated with the selectedpolysemous symbol.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed toarticle of manufacture, comprising: a first code segment for causing thecomputer device to provide polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display, a plurality ofthe provided polysemous symbols including a visual indicator indicatinga link to a next level electronic screen overlay which is different fromthe initial electronic screen overlay; a second code segment for causingthe computer device to store, in a memory and in association with eachone of the plurality of polysemous symbols, a pointer identifyingdisplay of the next level electronic screen overlay which is differentfrom the initial electronic screen overlay; and a third code segment forcausing the computer device to display the next level electronic screenoverlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay onthe display, in response to initial selection of a respective one of theplurality of polysemous symbols including the visual indicator, the nextlevel electronic screen overlay being the electronic screen overlayassociated with the selected polysemous symbol.

In at least one embodiment of the method, apparatus, and/or the articleof manufacture, the next level electronic screen overlay is displayed inplace of the initial electronic screen overlay. Further, the method,apparatus and/or article of manufacture may include a processorconfigured to receive an indication of selection of the one of theplurality of polysemous symbols and control the integrated input anddisplay device to display the next level electronic screen overlayassociated with the selected polysemous symbol upon the processorreceiving the indication of selection. Still further, an output devicemay be included, configured to output at least one of a word, phoneme,message and phrase in response to selection of one of the providedsymbols on the displayed next level electronic screen overlay, theoutput at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter,number, morpheme, command and phrase being stored in the memory inassociation with a symbol sequence including the initially selectedpolysemous symbol and the selected one of the provided symbols on thedisplayed next level electronic screen overlay. In addition, the memorymay further be configured to store the plurality of the selectablepolysemous symbols, displayed in association with the visual indicatoron the next level electronic screen overlay, in association with apointer identifying display of third electronic screen overlay which isdifferent from the next level electronic screen overlay; and wherein theintegrated input and display device is configured to display a thirdelectronic screen overlay, in response to selection of one of theselectable polysemous symbols of the displayed second electronic screenoverlay displayed in association with the visual indicator, the thirdelectronic screen overlay being associated with the selected one of thepolysemous symbols of the displayed next level electronic screenoverlay, wherein the third electronic screen overlay may further bedisplayed in place of the next level electronic screen overlay. Inaddition, the visual indicator may include a symbol displayed inaddition to the polysemous symbol and/or at least one non-text indicatordisplayed in addition to the polysemous symbol. Even further, the symbolmay include at least one graphic indicator displayed in addition to thepolysemous symbol, wherein the symbol may include at least one arrow.Even still further, the at least one graphic indicator may include atleast one arrow and/or the at least one non-text indicator may includeat least one arrow. The visual indicator may include at least onetext-based indicator displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol,wherein the at least one text-based indicator may include upper caseletters.

Throughout the embodiments of the present application, when the termmessage or messages is used, such a term can represent any of a storedletter, word, morpheme, phrase, phoneme, sentence, full name, letter,number, plural word message, function, command or any combinationthereof, stored in association with sequenced polysemous symbols.

Application programs of embodiments of the present application describedhereafter, utilizing sequenced polysemous symbols to access storedmessages, can also be stored in memory 102. Such application programs ofvarious embodiments of the present application as will be discussedhereafter can be implemented on the portable multifunction device 100discussed above.

At least one embodiment of the present invention is directed towards anapplication program utilizing sequenced polysemous symbols to accessstored messages, on tablet devices such as the portable multifunctiondevice 100 including but not limited to iPADs and Android devices, forexample, as well as other computer devices with at least one processor120, memory 102, integrated input and display device or touch screendisplay 112, etc. Thus, it should be noted that while hardware relatingto the portable multifunction device 100 is described above forimplementing the application programs of embodiments of the presentapplication described hereafter in an example manner, the embodiments ofthe present application are not limited to the portable multifunctiondevice 100 described above and can be implemented on various portableand non-portable computer devices including at least one processor,memory, integrated input and display device, etc.

For example, at least one embodiment of the present invention isdirected towards an application program utilizing sequenced polysemoussymbols to access stored messages on smaller portable smart phonedevices such as iPhone devices, for example.

At least one embodiment of the present invention is directed towards asystem, method, article of manufacture and/or an application programutilizing sequenced polysemous symbols to access stored messages oncomputer devices with touch screen interfaces, as well as other computerdevices with at least one processor, memory, touch screen interface,etc.

At least one embodiment of the present invention is directed towards asystem, method, article of manufacture and/or an application programutilizing sequenced polysemous symbols to access stored messages with anelegantly structured (internally consistent) database that can be easilyand efficiently adapted to establish compatibility with a plurality ofoperating systems and devices. For example, an embodiment of the presentinvention may include an application program such as an Sqlite (forexample) or other database program that is natively supported by aplurality of software platforms, including mutual compatibility acrossdifferent platforms.

FIG. 3A illustrates an example embodiment of the application program ofan example embodiment of the present invention running on a portablemultifunction device 100 which is a tablet type consumer computer device510, including a touch sensitive display 112. The touch sensitivedisplay 112 includes a plurality of graphic symbols arranged in aninitial or first level electronic screen overlay 500. Again, theillustrated structure of FIG. 3A is that of an example embodiment andthe embodiments of the present application should not be limited to sucha portable multifunction device 100, or even to portable devices.

FIG. 3B illustrates an example embodiment of the application program ofan example embodiment of the present invention running on a portablemultifunction device 100 which is a smart phone type consumer device520, including a touch sensitive display 112. The touch sensitivedisplay 112 includes a plurality of graphic symbols arranged in aninitial or first level electronic screen overlay 500. Again, theillustrated structure of FIG. 3B is that of an example embodiment andthe embodiments of the present application should not be limited to sucha portable multifunction device 100, or even to portable devices.

Note that FIGS. 3A and 3B are merely non-limiting examples of portablemultifunction devices 100 including a graphical touch sensitive display112 which are encompassed by the embodiments of the present application,used to illustrate a relationship between symbols arranged on anelectronic screen overlay 500 and the portable multifunction devices 100including a graphical touch sensitive display 112. It should beunderstood that the embodiments of the present application areapplicable to any portable or even semi or non-portable multifunctiondevices including a graphical touch sensitive display capable ofdisplaying electronic screen overlays such as those shown in FIGS. 3Aand 3B.

At least one embodiment of the present invention is directed towards asystem, method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacturefor utilizing sequenced polysemous symbols to access stored messagesthat are stored in a memory among a plurality of linked electronicscreen overlays, and which extend linguistic encoding strategies toapplications that utilize a plurality of linked electronic screenoverlays. Please note that throughout the discussions of the embodimentsof the present application hereafter, the word “message” or “plural wordmessages” can stand for any of a letter, word, morpheme, phrase,phoneme, sentence, full name, letter, number, plural word message,function, command or any combination thereof, stored in association withsequenced polysemous symbols.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality oflinked electronic screen overlays, each of which displays a virtualkeyboard with a plurality of virtual key locations that may include asymbol, such as a relatively centrally disposed symbol for example.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality oflinked electronic screen overlays, each of which displays a virtualkeyboard, as described above, where a configuration of the virtual keylocations of the virtual keyboard may be held constant across theplurality of electronic screen overlays.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality oflinked electronic screen overlays, as described above, all of which mayoccupy the same region of space on a graphic display when they aredisplayed so that only one overlay may be displayed for the operator atany given moment.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacturedisplaying a plurality of polysemous symbols, each of which may berelatively centrally disposed on at least one location of the virtualkeyboard of a subset of one or more of a plurality of linked electronicscreen overlays, as described above.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacturedisplaying a plurality of virtual key locations, as described above,each of which may include a corresponding polysemous symbol and acorresponding embedded link to retrieve and display an electronic screenoverlay that differs from the electronic screen overlay that iscurrently displayed for the operator. As such, the electronic screenoverlay that is displayed for the operator may change when a keylocation including a polysemous symbol and an embedded link is triggeredor selected. Although key locations and/or polysemous symbols may beincluded on a plurality of linked electronic screen overlays, theembedded link that corresponds to a key location and/or symbol on oneelectronic screen overlay may be unique and differ from an embedded linkthat corresponds to the same key location and/or symbol on otherelectronic screen overlays. Note that the same symbol can be included onmultiple electronic screen overlays and may exist at the same keylocation, for example.

At least one embodiment of the present invention provides a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture includinga plurality of polysemous symbols, each of which may be relativelycentrally disposed on a location of the virtual keyboard of at least oneof a plurality of linked electronic screen overlays, and which mayproduce the speech and/or text output of a corresponding previouslystored message when triggered. Although each polysemous symbol may beincluded on a plurality of linked electronic screen overlays, thepreviously stored message that corresponds to a symbol on one electronicscreen overlay (when sequenced with other symbols) may be unique anddiffer from the previously stored message that corresponds to the samesymbol on other electronic screen overlays (when sequenced with othersymbols). Note that the same symbol can be included on multipleelectronic screen overlays and may exist at the same key location, forexample.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture includinga plurality of linked electronic screen overlays, as described above,where the virtual keys of the virtual keyboard on each electronic screenoverlay may include one of a plurality of polysemous symbols, asdescribed above, wherein the included corresponding polysemous symbolsmay vary across the plurality of electronic screen overlays, and mayexist at the same key location, for example.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture includinga plurality of linked electronic screen overlays, as described above,where a given polysemous symbol may be relatively centrally disposed onone or more locations of the virtual keyboard of one or more of theplurality of linked electronic screen overlays, and where the givenpolysemous symbol may be relatively centrally disposed in the same oneor more locations on the virtual keyboards of all linked electronicscreen overlays that include the symbol. In this way, the key locationsof the given polysemous symbol may be held constant across the wholeplurality of linked electronic screen overlays.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture includinga plurality of polysemous symbols, as described above, each of which maybe included on the virtual keyboards of a subset of a plurality oflinked electronic screen overlays, as described above, where the keylocations of each of the plurality of polysemous symbols may be heldconstant across the whole plurality of linked electronic screenoverlays.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture includinga first level electronic screen overlay or CORE HOME overlay, which mayinclude all of a plurality of polysemous symbols, as described above.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture includinga first level electronic screen overlay or CORE HOME overlay, which mayinclude all of a plurality of polysemous symbols, as described above,where at least one of these polysemous symbols may include an embeddedlink to a second level electronic screen overlay.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture includinga first level electronic screen overlay or CORE HOME overlay, which mayinclude a plurality of polysemous symbols, as described above, and aplurality of symbols which, when triggering or activation is detected,can trigger production of a speech and/or text output of a correspondingpreviously stored message.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture includinga plurality of second level electronic screen overlays, each of whichmay be accessed by triggering a link that is embeddedly connected orcorresponded to a polysemous symbol and/or key location on the firstlevel electronic screen overlay.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, each second levelelectronic screen overlay can only be accessed by triggering orselecting one of the plurality of polysemous symbols on the first levelelectronic screen overlay.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture includinga plurality of second level electronic screen overlays, as describedabove, each of which may include a subset of the plurality of polysemoussymbols included on the first level electronic screen overlay.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture includinga plurality of second level electronic screen overlays, as describedabove, each of which may include a subset of one or more keys which maybe blank and which do not include any corresponding symbol which can betriggered by an operator (and thus at least temporarily inactive).

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture includingat least one key location and/or symbol on each of at least one of aplurality of second level electronic screen overlays, as describedabove, that includes and/or corresponds to an embedded link to the firstlevel electronic screen overlay to return the user to the first levelelectronic screen overlay or CORE HOME overlay.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture includinga plurality of second level electronic screen overlays, as describedabove, each of which may include at least one polysemous symbol that canbe selected and thus triggered to produce the speech and/or text outputof a corresponding previously stored message and that includes anembedded link to the first level electronic screen overlay or CORE HOMEoverlay, as described above. As such, the user may be returned to theCORE HOME overlay as a function of a continuous input system thateliminates the extra keystrokes necessary to change screens.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture includinga plurality of second level electronic screen overlays, as describedabove, each of which may include at least one non-polysemous symbol thatcan be triggered to produce the speech and/or text output of acorresponding previously stored message and includes an embedded link tothe first level electronic screen overlay or CORE HOME overlay, asdescribed above.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture includinga plurality of second level electronic screen overlays, as describedabove, each of which may include at least one intermediate polysemoussymbol that includes an embedded link to a third level electronic screenoverlay.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture includinga plurality of third level electronic screen overlays that may beaccessed by triggering a link that is embedded in a polysemous ornon-polysemous symbol on one of the plurality of second level electronicscreen overlays.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, each third levelelectronic screen overlay can only be accessed by triggering, via aprocessor receiving an indication of selection thereof, one of the oneor more polysemous or non-polysemous symbols on one of the plurality ofsecond level electronic screen overlays. Given that a second levelelectronic screen overlay may only be accessed by triggering one of theplurality of polysemous symbols on the first level electronic screenoverlay, there may be only one sequence of symbols on sequentiallylinked electronic screen overlays that can be used to access a specificthird-level electronic screen overlay.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture includinga plurality of third level electronic screen overlays, as describedabove, each of which may include a subset of one or more of a pluralityof polysemous symbols.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture includinga plurality of third level electronic screen overlays, as describedabove, each of which may include one or more non-polysemous symbols.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes at least onesymbol on each of a plurality of third level electronic screen overlays,as described above, that includes an embedded link to the first levelelectronic screen overlay or CORE HOME overlay, as described above.

At least one embodiment of the present invention includes a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture includinga plurality of third level electronic screen overlays, as describedabove, each of which may include at least one polysemous ornon-polysemous symbol that can be triggered to produce the speech and/ortext output of a corresponding previously stored message and includes anembedded link to the first level electronic screen overlay or CORE HOMEoverlay, as described above.

In at least one embodiment of a system, method, computer readable mediumand/or article of manufacture of the present invention, an operator maytrigger, via selection thereof, a sequence of two polysemous symbolsthat are located on two sequentially displayed linked electronic screenoverlays to produce a speech or text output of a previously storedmessage using the following process, for example.

An initial electronic screen overlay 500, such as that shown in FIGS. 3Aand 3B for example, is shown on the touch sensitive display 112 of theportable multifunction device 100; the electronic screen overlay 500including a grid of symbols for example, stored in a database in memory102 for example, and visually displayed to the user on an LCD display,for example, of the touch sensitive display 112. The initial electronicscreen overlay 500 may be referred to as the ‘CORE HOME overlay,’ forexample.

Polysemous and non-polysemous symbols are initially provided forselection on the initial electronic screen overlay 500 or ‘CORE HOMEoverlay’, displayed with symbols for selection on touch sensitivedisplay 112, for example. Thereafter, triggering of an initialpolysemous symbol of the sequence on the initial or first levelelectronic screen overlay then may begin upon user selection (viaselection using a touch panel key or other form of input, for example onthe touch sensitive display 112), as described above, where theinitially selected polysemous symbol may include an embedded link toretrieve (upon the processor 120, for example, receiving an indicationof selection of a key location corresponding to the symbol) and triggerdisplay of a second level electronic screen overlay (the display beingdisplayed on touch sensitive display 112, for example, in place of thefirst level electronic screen overlay, for example).

The aforementioned may occur, for example, by the processor 120receiving an indication of user selection by determining the XY positionof the activation on the touch sensitive display 112 to identify theposition of the initially selected polysemous symbol within the COREHOME overlay. This selected polysemous symbol may be one of a pluralityof selectable polysemous symbols of the ‘CORE HOME overlay’ stored inassociation with, and marked in the database in memory 102 for example,a pointer to a secondary electronic screen overlay. In response to theprocessor 120 determining selection of the initially selected polysemoussymbol, the processor 120 may then control the touch sensitive display112 to display the secondary electronic screen overlay indicated by thepointer, the secondary electronic screen overlay being the electronicscreen overlay associated via a pointer with the selected polysemoussymbol and being different from the initial electronic screen overlay or‘CORE HOME overlay’. The contents of this secondary electronic screenoverlay can further be directed by the processor 120 to replace thecontent of the CORE HOME overlay on the touch sensitive display 112 fromwhich the initial polysemous symbol was selected.

Thereafter, the processor 120 may receive an indication of selection ofa terminal (final) polysemous symbol of a sequence, from the currentlydisplayed second level (secondary) electronic screen overlay for example(via selection using a touch panel key or some other form of input, forexample), as described above, where the selected final polysemous symboltriggers (upon the processor 120, for example, receiving an indicationof selection of a key location corresponding to the terminal symbol)output of a previously stored message (word, phrase, morpheme ormessage) corresponding to the symbol sequence including the selectedfirst and terminal symbols (displayed on touch sensitive display 112,output via a speaker, etc.). Thus, a polysemous or non-polysemous symbolon the secondary electronic screen overlay can serve as a terminalsymbol. In this case, detection of selection of the symbol, through thatdescribed above, may cause the processor 120 to access a message (word,phrase, morpheme or message) stored in memory 102 and linked in thedatabase to a symbol sequence including the initially selected symboland the selected symbol provided on the displayed second electronicscreen overlay. The message may contain a text string which can be shownon the LCD display of the touch sensitive display 120, spoken via aspeech synthesizer, printed, etc., or otherwise output.

Selection of the terminal polysemous symbol of the two symbol sequencethat is on the second level electronic screen overlay may furthertrigger display of the first level electronic screen overlay or ‘COREHOME overlay’ (in place of the second level electronic screen overlayfor example and in addition to the outputting of the stored message,e.g. subsequent thereto or simultaneous therewith). This may occursubsequent to the symbol being selected so that the operator maythereafter begin executing a new function, such as selection of a nextsequence of polysemous symbols, for example. This automatic function mayallow the system to act as a continuous input device that does notrequire additional keystrokes to return to the first level electronicscreen overlay after completion of a valid two symbol sequence. Inaddition to acting upon linked text string as described above, theselection of a terminal symbol may also trigger the contents of thesecondary electronic screen display to be replaced by the contents ofthe CORE HOME overlay. Again, similar to that discussed previously, thiscan occur via storage of an embedded link in association with theterminal symbol in the database of memory 102 for example.

Note that all key locations on the any level electronic screen overlayneed not correspond solely to symbols including an embedded link, letalone polysemous symbols including an embedded link. Note also that keylocations corresponding to a symbol including an embedded link on anylevel electronic screen overlay may be differentiated from key locationscorresponding a symbol which does not include an embedded link, byincluding a common displayable additional symbol for all key locationscorresponding to symbols which include an embedded link, for example(and/or in any other way, such as by including differentiated letteringon the corresponding key location, for example).

In at least one embodiment of a system, method, computer readable mediumand/or article of manufacture of the present invention, an operator maytrigger a sequence of three polysemous symbols that are located on threesequentially displayed linked electronic screen overlays to produce aspeech or text output of a previously stored message using the followingprocess, for example.

Polysemous and non-polysemous symbols are initially provided forselection on the initial electronic screen overlay 500 or ‘CORE HOMEoverlay’, displayed with symbols for selection on touch sensitivedisplay 112, for example. Thereafter, triggering of an initialpolysemous symbol of the sequence on the initial or first levelelectronic screen overlay then may begin upon user selection (viaselection using a touch panel key or other form of input, for example onthe touch sensitive display 112), as described above, where theinitially selected polysemous symbol may include an embedded link toretrieve (upon the processor 120, for example, receiving an indicationof selection of a key location corresponding to the symbol) and triggerdisplay of a second level electronic screen overlay (the display beingdisplayed on touch sensitive display 112, for example, in place of thefirst level electronic screen overlay, for example).

It can further include triggering an intermediate polysemous symbol ofthe same sequence (via selection of, and detection of selection byprocessor 120, a symbol of the displayed second level electronic screenoverlay using a touch panel key or some other form of input on touchsensitive display 112, for example), as described above, where theselected intermediate polysemous symbol includes a correspondingembedded link stored in memory 102 and retrievable via processor 120 totrigger the processor 120 to control display of a third level electronicscreen overlay on touch sensitive display 112. The aforementioned may beachieved by an initial electronic screen overlay being shown on thevisual display of the touch sensitive display system 112; an electronicscreen overlay being a grid of symbols, stored in a database in thememory 102 and visually displayed to the user on an LCD display of thetouch sensitive display system 112, for example. The initial electronicscreen overlay will be referred to as the ‘CORE HOME overlay.’

Symbol activation may be detected by the processor 120 on thetouchscreen of the touch sensitive display 112 or alternative inputdevice. The processor 120 may then determine the XY position of theactivation to identify the initial polysemous symbol within the COREHOME overlay. This polysemous symbol may be marked in the database inmemory 102 with a pointer to a secondary electronic screen overlay. Thecontents of this secondary electronic screen overlay may then becontrolled by processor 120 to replace the content of the CORE HOMEoverlay from which the initial polysemous symbol was selected.

A second polysemous symbol can then be selected from the symbols of thesecond electronic screen overlay. Again, the processor 120 receives anindication of and determines the XY position of the activation toidentify the second selected polysemous symbol within the secondaryelectronic screen overlay. This polysemous symbol may be one marked inthe database in memory 102 with a pointer to a third level electronicscreen overlay. In response to the processor 120 determining selectionof the second selected polysemous symbol, the processor 120 may thencontrol the touch sensitive display 112 to display the third levelelectronic screen overlay indicated by the pointer, the third levelelectronic screen overlay being the electronic screen overlay associatedvia a pointer with the second selected polysemous symbol and beingdifferent from the second electronic screen overlay. The contents ofthis third level electronic screen overlay may replace the content ofthe second level electronic screen overlay from which the secondpolysemous symbol was selected.

Selection of a the terminal polysemous symbol of the sequence may thenoccur on the currently displayed third level electronic screen overlay(via selection using a touch panel key or some other form of input, forexample), as described above, where the final polysemous symbol triggers(upon a processor, 120 for example, receiving an indication of detectionof a key location corresponding to the terminal symbol) output of apreviously stored message (word, phrase, morpheme or message)corresponding to the symbol sequence including the selected first,second and terminal symbols (displayed on touch sensitive display 112,output via a speaker, etc.).

Thus, as described above, a polysemous or non-polysemous symbol on thesecond or third level electronic screen display can serve as a terminalsymbol. In this case, detection of selection of the symbol, through thatdescribed above, may cause the processor 120 to access a message (word,phrase, morpheme or message) stored in memory 102 and linked in thedatabase to a symbol sequence including the initially selected symbol,and the selected symbol provided on the displayed electronic screenoverlay (and potentially an intermediate symbol as well). The messagemay contain a text string which can be shown on the LCD display of thetouch sensitive display 120, spoken via a speech synthesizer, printed,etc., or otherwise output.

Selection of the terminal polysemous symbol of the three symbol sequencethat is on the third level electronic screen overlay (or similarly thesecond level electronic screen overlay in a two symbol sequence) mayfurther trigger display of the first level electronic screen overlay or‘CORE HOME overlay’ (in place of the third level electronic screenoverlay for example, or similarly the second level electronic screenoverlay in a two symbol sequence) and in addition to the outputting ofthe stored message, e.g. subsequent thereto or simultaneous therewith).This may occur subsequent to the symbol being selected so that theoperator may thereafter begin executing a new function, such asselection of a next sequence of polysemous symbols, for example. Thisautomatic function may allow the system to act as a continuous inputdevice that does not require additional keystrokes to return to thefirst level electronic screen overlay after completion of a valid threesymbol sequence. In addition to acting upon linked text string asdescribed above, the selection of a terminal symbol may also trigger thecontents of the second or third level electronic screen display to bereplaced by the contents of the CORE HOME overlay. Again, similar tothat discussed previously, this can occur via storage of an embeddedlink in association with the terminal symbol in the database of memory102 for example.

Note that all key locations on the any level electronic screen overlayneed not correspond solely to symbols including an embedded link, letalone polysemous symbols including an embedded link. Note also that keylocations corresponding to a symbol including an embedded link on anylevel electronic screen overlay may be differentiated from key locationscorresponding to a symbol which does not include an embedded link, byincluding a common additional symbol for all key locations correspondingto symbols which include an embedded link, for example (and/or in anyother way, such as by including differentiated lettering on thecorresponding key location, for example).

In at least one embodiment of a system, method, computer readable mediumand/or article of manufacture of the present invention, a pointerassociated with each of a plurality of second level linked electronicscreen overlays may store, in memory 102, the name of the polysemoussymbol on the first level linked electronic screen overlay that can betriggered to retrieve and display the second level linked electronicscreen overlay. Similarly, a pointer may be associated with each of aplurality of third level linked electronic screen overlays which stores,in memory 102, the names of the symbols on the first level linkedelectronic screen overlay and subsequent second level linked electronicscreen overlay that can be triggered to retrieve and display the thirdlevel linked electronic screen overlay. There may also be a pointer thatstores in memory 102 a name associated with the first level linkedelectronic overlay, “Core Home” for example. These pointers mayautomatically populate an overlay name field to create a unique name foreach of the plurality of linked electronic screen overlays thatcorresponds to the symbol sequence used to retrieve and display thatoverlay, and may be accessed via processor 120 from memory 102.

In at least one embodiment of a system, method, computer readable mediumand/or article of manufacture of the present invention, a unique namemay be assigned to each of a plurality of sequentially linked electronicscreen overlays, where the first level linked electronic screen overlaymay be assigned a default name, “CORE HOME”, for example.

In at least one embodiment of a system, method, computer readable mediumand/or article of manufacture of the present invention, a unique namemay be assigned to each of a plurality of sequentially linked electronicscreen overlays, where each of a plurality of second level linkedelectronic screen overlays may be assigned a name that includes the nameof the polysemous symbol that may be triggered on the first levelelectronic screen overlay to retrieve and display the specific secondlevel linked electronic screen overlay.

In at least one embodiment of a system, method, computer readable mediumand/or article of manufacture of the present invention, a unique namemay be assigned to each of a plurality of sequentially linked electronicscreen overlays, where each of a plurality of third level linkedelectronic screen overlays may be assigned a name that includes the nameof the polysemous symbol that may be triggered or selected on the firstlevel electronic screen overlay and the name of the polysemous ornon-polysemous symbol that must be triggered or selected on asecond-level electronic screen overlay to retrieve and display thespecific third level linked electronic screen overlay.

In at least one embodiment of a system, method, computer readable mediumand/or article of manufacture of the present invention, a default uniquename may be automatically assigned to any new electronic screen overlaycreated by an operator, where the assigned name includes the sequencednames of one or more polysemous symbols on sequentially linkedelectronic screen overlays that may be triggered or selected in order toretrieve and display the newly created electronic screen overlay. Inthis way, the name of any new overlay that is added to the system isconsistent with the names of most or all of a plurality of previouslyexisting linked electronic screen overlays in the system.

FIGS. 4A-4J illustrate, in an example embodiment, how a plurality ofpolysemous symbols in a simplified electronic screen overlay (forexample purposes only) displayed on keys of a virtual keyboard on atouch sensitive display 112 of a multifunction device 100 may besequentially triggered, selected or activated on a plurality ofsequentially linked electronic screen overlays present to produce one ofa plurality of messages previously stored in a memory 102.

FIG. 4A shows a first level electronic screen overlay 600, which can beknown as the “CORE HOME” overlay for example, using only a six keylocation virtual keyboard and six corresponding polysemous symbols ofsix virtual key locations of the virtual keyboard (again, this sixlocation virtual keyboard is used in a merely example and illustrativemanner noting that many electronic screen overlays include 84-144 keylocations and/or potential symbols, for example). On the first levelelectronic screen overlay 600 of FIG. 4A, the key location correspondingto the polysemous “I” symbol 602 (the multi-meaning pictorialillustration of a lady shown in FIG. 4A for example) may be triggered orselected (the processor 120 receives an indication of the selected XYlocation of the touch sensitive display 112 corresponding to the virtualkey location including “I” symbol 602, and retrieves information frommemory 102 indicating that the “I” symbol is stored corresponding to theselected XY location) as an initial symbol in a polysemous symbolsequence. When the “I” symbol 602 is triggered, a second levelelectronic screen overlay 620 of FIG. 4B, named the “I” overlay 620 forexample, may be retrieved by processor 120 from memory 102 based uponinformation stored in memory 102 and then displayed on the touchsensitive display 112 as shown in FIG. 4B (noting that the processor120, in response receiving the indication of the selected XY location ofthe touch sensitive display 112 corresponding to the “I” symbol 602,retrieves further information corresponding to the “I” symbol location,namely a pointer or electronic link in memory 102, indicating that the“I” overlay 620 should be displayed on the touch sensitive display 112in place of the CORE HOME overlay 600).

Alternative to selection of the “I” symbol 602 which triggers display ofthe “I” overlay 620 on the first level electronic screen overlay 600 ofFIG. 4A, the key location corresponding to the polysemous VERB symbol604 (the multi-meaning pictorial illustration of a handyman called Mr.Action Man for example) may be triggered as the only (terminal) symbolin a one-symbol sequence to produce an output of the previously storedmessage “are” (the processor 120 receives an indication of the selectedXY location of the touch sensitive display 112 corresponding to thepolysemous VERB symbol 604, and retrieves information from memory 102indicating that this is a one symbol sequence triggering output of thecorresponding word, phrase, morpheme or message stored in memory 102,namely output of the word “are”). A polysemous symbol such as the VERBsymbol 604 may always function as the terminal symbol in a plurality ofpolysemous symbol sequences (even when it is a second or third symbol ina sequence for example).

Alternative to selection of the “I” symbol 602 which triggers display ofthe “I” overlay 620 on the first level electronic screen overlay 600 ofFIG. 4A, the key location corresponding to the polysemous KNOT symbol606 (the multi-meaning pictorial illustration of a rope tied in a KNOT,for example) may be triggered as the only (terminal) symbol in aone-symbol sequence to produce, in the same manner as that describedabove regarding the VERB symbol 604, the previously stored message“not.” A polysemous symbol such as the KNOT symbol 606 may function indifferent positions of different polysemous symbol sequences, includingfunctioning as intermediate and terminal symbols, for example.

Alternative to selection of the “I” symbol 602 which triggers display ofthe “I” overlay 620 on the first level electronic screen overlay 600 ofFIG. 4A, the key location corresponding to the polysemous WANT symbol608 (the multi-meaning pictorial illustration of a boy reaching for abook, for example), the key location corresponding to the polysemousAPPLE symbol 610 (the multi-meaning pictorial illustration of an applewith a bee on it, for example) and the key location corresponding to thepolysemous DOG symbol 612 (the multi-meaning pictorial illustration of adog with a newspaper in his mouth, for example) may each be separatelytriggered as the initial symbol in a plurality of polysemous symbolsequences. When the key location corresponding to the WANT symbol 608,APPLE symbol 610 or DOG symbol 612 is triggered, a corresponding secondlevel electronic screen overlay may be retrieved (in the same mannerdescribed above with the triggering of the “I” symbol 602 and thedisplay of the second level electronic screen overlay 620 of FIG. 4B forexample), which then respectively results in display of a “WANT” overlay630 of FIG. 4D, an “APPLE” overlay 640 of FIG. 4E, and a “DOG” overlayof FIG. 4F.

The first level linked electronic screen overlay 600 of FIG. 4A includeskey locations including both text-based visual indicators andnon-text-based visual indicators (such as graphic symbols or indicatorsfor example) to help an operator or user differentiate betweenpolysemous symbols that may be triggered as an initial polysemous symbolin a plurality of longer sequences of polysemous symbols on sequentiallylinked electronic overlays and polysemous symbols that may be triggeredas the terminal symbol in a one symbol sequence to produce a previouslystored message.

As examples of FIG. 4A, the “I” symbol 602, WANT symbol 608, APPLEsymbol 610, and DOG symbol 612 on the first level electronic screenoverlay 600 may all function as initial polysemous symbols in aplurality of longer symbol sequences across plural electronic screenoverlays. The key locations or virtual keys corresponding to thesesymbols all include text labels that are in CAPITAL letters and anon-text small graphic indicator (the recycle symbol 616 in the topright corner of each of these keys for example) to indicate that thecorresponding symbols are initial symbols in longer symbol sequencesacross sequentially linked electronic screen overlays (e.g. a visualindicator indicating a link to a next level electronic screen overlaywhich is different from the initial electronic screen overlay). Forexample, the text label 614 of the key location corresponding to theWant symbol 608 is in CAPITAL letters, namely it includes the text label614 “WANT”, wherein the text-based visual indicator of displaying “WANT”in CAPITAL letters signifies that the corresponding symbol, whentriggered or selected, triggers display of a linked electronic screenoverlay, namely the “WANT” overlay 630 of FIG. 4D (e.g. the processor120, in response receiving the indication of the selected XY location ofthe touch sensitive display 112 corresponding to the “WANT” symbol 608,retrieves further information corresponding to the “WANT” symbollocation, namely a pointer or electronic link stored in memory 102,indicating that the “WANT” overlay 630 should be displayed on the touchsensitive display 112 in place of the CORE HOME overlay 600). Also, thekey location corresponding to the WANT symbol 608 in this example alsoillustrates a non-text-based visual indicator, namely a graphical symbolsuch as the recycle symbol 616 of FIG. 4A, which also indicates that thecorresponding symbol, when triggered or selected, triggers display (viaa stored electronic link or pointer in memory 102 as mentioned above forexample) of a linked electronic screen overlay, namely the “WANT”overlay 630 of FIG. 4D.

Note that the type of visual indicators indicated above and mentionedthroughout this text are merely examples, and should not be consideredto limit or restrict the embodiments of the invention. The text basedvisual indicator mentioned above, namely the use of CAPITAL letters forexample, is merely one example and should not be considered to limit orrestrict the embodiments. And similarly, the type and/or location of thenon-text and/or graphic indicator, for example the recycle symbol andthe upper right location on the keys, are merely examples and should notbe considered to limit or restrict the embodiments of the invention. Anynumber of symbols can be used and any location on the keys can be used,noting that even consistent use of a location of the symbol on the keysis not required.

The VERB symbol 604 and KNOT symbol 606 may function as terminal symbolsin one or single symbol sequences on the first level electronic screenoverlay 600. Thus, the key locations corresponding to the these symbolsboth include text based visual indicators 618 (“are”) and 619 (“not”)that are in lower case letters and neither includes any non-text visualindicator (no recycle symbol 616 for example), which indicates thatthese keys include symbols 604 and 606 which are terminal symbols in oneor single symbol sequences (and thus, when selected or when processor120 receives an indication of their selection, trigger an output (orsome type of message for example) and do not trigger display of adifferent linked electronic screen overlay.

FIG. 4B shows a second level linked electronic screen overlay 620 with asix key location virtual keyboard similar to the six key locationvirtual keyboard of the first level electronic screen overlay 600 inFIG. 4A. This overlay 620, named the “I” overlay 620 for example, may beretrieved and displayed when the “I” symbol 602 on the first levellinked electronic screen overlay 600 is triggered. Symbols on thissecond level linked electronic screen overlay 620 may be selected as asecond symbol in polysemous symbol sequences that begin with the “I”symbol, which is triggered on the first level electronic screen overlay600. The “I”, VERB, KNOT, WANT, and APPLE symbols on the second levellinked electronic screen overlay 620 in FIG. 4B are included on virtualkeys corresponding to virtual keys with the same symbols at the samerespective key locations on the first level linked electronic screenoverlay 600 because each of these symbols may be triggered as the secondsymbol in valid sequences beginning with the “I” symbol 602. The DOGsymbol from key 612 of FIG. 4A is not displayed in its respective keylocation on the second level linked electronic screen overlay 620 inFIG. 4B because there are no valid symbol sequences that begin with the“I” and DOG symbols.

The “I”, VERB, WANT, and APPLE symbols on the second level linkedelectronic screen overlay 620 in FIG. 4B may be triggered as theterminal symbol in sequences of two polysemous symbols beginning withthe “I” symbol. When the key location corresponding to one of thesesymbols is triggered, the corresponding previously stored message(corresponding to the sequence “I” plus one of “I”, VERB, WANT, andAPPLE) is produced and the first level linked electronic overlay 600 isretrieved and displayed once again (once of the aforementioned keys istriggered or selected in FIG. 4B, the processor 120 retrieves both acorresponding word, phrase, morpheme or message and a pointer to displaythe first level linked electronic overlay 600 from memory 102). Lowercase letters in the text labels on each of these key locations orvirtual keys, and/or the absence of a small non-text visual indicator(from the top right corner of each of these keys, for example) serve asvisual indicators to show an operator that these symbols function as theterminal symbols in their respective sequences (noting that the “I”symbol is never represented as a lower case “i” and thus it is theabsence of the visual indicator such as 616 of FIG. 4A that shows theoperator in FIG. 4B that the key is a terminal key).

The KNOT symbol 622 on the second level linked electronic screen overlay620 in FIG. 4B may be triggered as the intermediate symbol in at leastone sequence of three polysemous symbols beginning with the “I” and KNOTsymbols. When this KNOT symbol 622 is triggered, the third level linkedelectronic screen overlay 660 of FIG. 4G, named the “I KNOT” overlay forexample, may be retrieved by the processor 120 and displayed on thetouch sensitive display 112. Note that the key location corresponding tothe KNOT symbol 622 includes both the CAPITAL text visual indicator“N′T” 624 and the recycle symbol 626 as a non-text visual indicator, toindicate that the corresponding “N′T” symbol 624, when triggered orselected, triggers display of a linked electronic screen overlay, namelythe “I KNOT” overlay 660 of FIG. 4G.

FIG. 4C shows a place-holder for a second level linked electronicoverlay 628 named the “VERB” overlay, which may be retrieved anddisplayed if the VERB symbol on the first level linked electronicoverlay is re-programmed to link to a second level electronic screenoverlay useful for production of one or more longer polysemous symbolsequences that begin with the VERB symbol. The name of this electronicoverlay will be assigned by default if the VERB symbol on the firstlevel electronic screen overlay is reprogrammed in a way thatnecessitates the introduction of a corresponding second level electronicscreen overlay. If the VERB symbol on the first level electronic screenoverlay of FIG. 4A is reprogrammed in this way, visual indicatorsassociated with the VERB symbol on the first level electronic screenoverlay of FIG. 4A indicate that the VERB symbol can be triggered toretrieve and display a second level electronic screen overlay. Thesevisual indicators may include a text label, such as CAPITAL letters forexample, and/or a non-text indicator, such as a recycle symbol in thetop right corner of the key for example.

FIG. 4D shows a second level linked electronic screen overlay 630 namedthe “WANT” overlay for example, which may be retrieved and displayedupon the WANT symbol 608 on the first level linked electronic screenoverlay 600 being triggered. Symbols on this overlay 630 may be selectedas the second symbol in polysemous symbol sequences that begin with theWANT symbol 608, which is triggered on the first level electronic screenoverlay 600. The “I”, VERB, and KNOT symbols on the second level linkedelectronic screen overlay 630 in FIG. 4D are included on keyscorresponding in location of the virtual keyboard to keys with the samesymbols (same multi-meaning pictorial illustrations) on the first levellinked electronic screen overlay 600 because each of these symbols maybe triggered as the second symbol in valid sequences beginning with theWANT symbol 608. The “I” symbol 632 and VERB symbol 634 on the secondlevel linked electronic screen overlay 630 in FIG. 4D may be triggeredas the terminal symbol in sequences of two polysemous symbols beginningwith the WANT symbol 608 to produce a corresponding previously storedmessage and retrieve and display the first level linked electronicscreen overlay 600 once again, in a manner similar to that previouslydescribed (noting that the keys of the symbols 632 and 634 include lowercase text and do not include a visual indicator such as the recyclesymbol for example).

The KNOT symbol 636 on the second level linked electronic screen overlay630 in FIG. 4D may be triggered as the intermediate symbol in at leastone sequence of three polysemous symbols beginning with the WANT symbol608 and KNOT symbol 636. When this symbol is triggered, the third levellinked electronic screen overlay 690 of FIG. 4J, named the “WANT KNOT”overlay may be retrieved and displayed (namely a visual graphicalnon-text symbol such as the recycle symbol 638 of FIG. 4D and thetext-based visual indicator of CAPITAL letters “N′T” 639 on the keylocation indicate that the corresponding symbol, when triggered orselected, triggers display of a linked electronic screen overlay, namelythe “WANT NOT” overlay 690 of FIG. 4J).

FIG. 4E shows a second level linked electronic screen overlay 640 namedthe “APPLE” overlay, which may be retrieved and displayed if the keylocation corresponding to the APPLE symbol 610 on the first level linkedelectronic screen overlay 600 is triggered. Symbols on this overlay 640may be selected as the second symbol in polysemous symbol sequences thatbegin with the APPLE symbol, which is triggered on the first levelelectronic screen overlay 600. The “I”, VERB, KNOT, and DOG symbols onthe second level linked electronic screen overlay in FIG. 4E areincluded on keys corresponding to keys with the same symbols on thefirst level linked electronic screen overlay 600 because each of thesesymbols may be triggered as the second symbol in valid sequencesbeginning with the APPLE symbol. The “I” and VERB symbols on the secondlevel linked electronic screen overlay 640 in FIG. 4E may be triggeredas the terminal symbol in sequences of two polysemous symbols beginningwith the APPLE symbol to produce a corresponding previously storedmessage and retrieve and display the first level linked electronicscreen overlay 600 once again. Note the lower case text labels andabsence of the recycle icon on the “I” and VERB symbols on the secondlevel linked electronic screen overlay 640 in FIG. 4E.

The KNOT and DOG symbols on the second level linked electronic screenoverlay in FIG. 4E may each be triggered as the intermediate symbol inat least one sequence of three polysemous symbols beginning with theAPPLE and KNOT or APPLE and DOG symbols, respectively. When either ofthese symbols triggered, a corresponding third level linked electronicscreen overlay may be retrieved and displayed, which may be the “APPLEKNOT” overlay 670 of FIG. 4H or the “APPLE DOG” overlay 680 of FIG. 4I,respectively. Note the CAPITAL letters in the text labels and thegraphic indicator (non-text indicator) in the corner of the KNOT and DOGsymbols on the second level linked electronic screen overlay in FIG. 4E.

In FIG. 4E, the intermediate symbol 642, in the key locationcorresponding to the DOG symbol on FIG. 4A, is an embellished symbol ofa “man biting a piece of fruit” to provide information about one or morepreviously stored messages that can be produced with symbol sequencesbeginning with the APPLE and DOG symbols.

FIG. 4F shows a second level linked electronic screen overlay 650 namedthe “DOG” overlay for example, which may be retrieved and displayed uponthe key location corresponding to the DOG symbol 612 on the first levellinked electronic screen overlay 600 being triggered. Symbols on thisoverlay may be selected as the second symbol in polysemous symbolsequences that begin with the DOG symbol 612, which is triggered on thefirst level electronic screen overlay 600. The VERB symbol 652 on thesecond level linked electronic screen overlay in FIG. 4F is included onthe key corresponding to the key location of the key including the VERBsymbol 604 on the first level linked electronic overlay 600 because itmay be triggered as the second symbol in a valid sequence beginning withthe DOG symbol 612. The VERB symbol 652 on the second level linkedelectronic screen overlay 650 in FIG. 4F may be triggered as theterminal symbol in a two symbol sequence beginning with the DOG symbolto produce a corresponding previously stored message and retrieve anddisplay the first level linked electronic screen overlay once again, inthe same manner previously described. Note that the lower case textlabels and absence of a graphic indicator (non-text indicator) on theDOG symbol indicate that this symbol may be triggered as the terminalsymbol in a sequence.

FIG. 4G shows a third level linked electronic overlay 660 named the “IKNOT” overlay for example, which may be retrieved if the key locationcorresponding to the I symbol 602 on the first level linked electronicscreen overlay 600 is triggered and then the key location correspondingto the KNOT symbol 622 on the corresponding second level linkedelectronic overlay 620 is triggered. Symbols on this overlay 660 may beselected as the third symbol in polysemous symbol sequences that beginwith the “I” and “KNOT” symbols.

The WANT symbol 662 and APPLE symbol 664 on the third level linkedelectronic screen overlay 660 in FIG. 4G are included on the keylocations corresponding to the key locations of these symbols on thefirst level linked electronic overlay 600 because they may be triggeredas the third symbol in valid sequences beginning with the I and KNOTsymbols. Both of these symbols may be triggered as the terminal symbolin a three symbol sequence beginning with the “I” and KNOT symbols toproduce a corresponding previously stored message and retrieve anddisplay the first level linked electronic screen overlay 600 once again.Lower case letters used as the text labels 666 and 668 on each of thekeys corresponding to these symbols, and the absence of a graphicindicator (non-text indicator) on each of these keys serve as visualindicators to show an operator that these symbols function as theterminal symbols in their respective sequences.

The “I”, VERB, KNOT, and DOG symbols are not displayed in theirrespective locations on the third level linked electronic screen overlay660 in FIG. 4G because they do not correspond to any valid symbolsequences.

FIG. 4H shows a third level linked electronic overlay 670 named the“APPLE KNOT” overlay for example, which may be retrieved if the APPLEsymbol 610 on the first level linked electronic screen overlay 600 istriggered and then the KNOT symbol 644 on the corresponding second levellinked electronic overlay 640 is triggered. Symbols on this overlay 670may be selected as the third symbol in polysemous symbol sequences thatbegin with the APPLE and KNOT symbols.

FIG. 4I shows a third level linked electronic screen overlay 680 namedthe “APPLE DOG” overlay for example, which may be retrieved if the APPLEsymbol 610 on the first level linked electronic screen overlay 600 istriggered and then the DOG symbol 642 on the corresponding second levellinked electronic overlay 640 is triggered. Symbols on this overlay 680may be selected as the third symbol in polysemous symbol sequences thatbegin with the APPLE and DOG symbols.

FIG. 4J shows a third level linked electronic overlay 690 named the“WANT KNOT” overlay for example, which may be retrieved if the WANTsymbol 608 on the first level linked electronic screen overlay 600 istriggered and then the KNOT symbol 636 on the corresponding second levellinked electronic screen overlay 630 is triggered. Symbols on thisoverlay 690 may be selected as the third symbol in polysemous symbolsequences that begin with the WANT and KNOT symbols. Visual indicatorsshow that all symbols on third level linked electronic overlay 670 ofFIGS. 4H-4J may be triggered as the terminal symbol in their respectivesymbol sequences.

FIGS. 5A-C show a series of three sequentially linked electronic screenoverlays for display on a touch sensitive display 112 of a portablemultifunctional device 100 for example, from an embodiment of thepresent invention with 84 locations on the virtual keyboard on each of aplurality of linked electronic screen overlays. Each key location oneach electronic screen overlay may include a relatively centrallydisposed polysemous or non-polysemous symbol. FIG. 5A is the first levelelectronic screen overlay 700. FIG. 5B is a second level electronicscreen overlay 701, which may be retrieved and displayed when anoperator triggers a key location or virtual key on the first levelelectronic screen overlay 700 of FIG. 5A that includes a polysemoussymbol that functions as an initial symbol in a plurality of polysemoussymbol sequences. FIG. 5C is a third level electronic screen overlay781, which may be retrieved and displayed when an operator triggers asequence of two symbols, including selection of a key on the first levelelectronic screen overlay 700 of FIG. 5A that includes a polysemoussymbol that functions as an initial symbol in a plurality of polysemoussymbol sequences, and including selection of a key on the second levelelectronic screen overlay 701 of FIG. 5B that includes a polysemoussymbol that functions as an intermediate symbol in a plurality ofpolysemous symbol sequences.

FIG. 5A shows a first level or initial electronic screen overlay 700,named the “CORE HOME” overlay for example with an 84 key locationvirtual keyboard and a plurality of polysemous symbols associated withvarious virtual keys or key locations of the virtual keyboard. On thefirst level electronic screen overlay 700 of FIG. 5A, the key 710corresponding to the polysemous “I” symbol 712 may be triggered as theinitial symbol in a plurality of polysemous symbol sequences. When the“I” symbol 712 (associated with key 710 located in Row 3, Column 1 ofthe virtual keyboard first level electronic screen overlay 700 of FIG.5A) is triggered, a second level electronic screen overlay 751 named the“I” overlay for example, may be retrieved and displayed, and theoperator may trigger one of a plurality of keys corresponding to secondpolysemous symbols to continue producing one of a plurality ofpreviously stored messages, such as “I,” “me”, “I am”, or “I can.”

When the key 720 corresponding to the RAINBOW symbol 722 (associatedwith key 720 located in Row 5, Column 11 of the virtual keyboard firstlevel electronic screen overlay 700 of FIG. 5A) is triggered, a secondlevel electronic screen overlay named the “RAINBOW” overlay for examplemay be retrieved and displayed, and the operator may trigger one of aplurality of second polysemous symbols to continue producing one of aplurality of previously stored messages, such as “color,” “coloring,”“pretty,” “paint,” “red,” “blue,” and “green.”

When the key 724 corresponding to the APPLE symbol 726 (Row 7, Column 5of the virtual keyboard first level electronic screen overlay 700 ofFIG. 5A) is triggered, the second level electronic screen overlay, namedthe “APPLE” overlay for example may be retrieved and displayed, and theoperator may trigger one of a plurality of second polysemous symbols tocontinue producing one of a plurality of previously stored messages,such as “eat,” “ate,” “bite,” “hungry,” “am I,” or “anyone.” When theAPPLE symbol (Row 7, Column 5) is triggered and the second levelelectronic screen overlay, named the “APPLE” overlay has been retrievedand displayed, the operator may also trigger one of a subset of secondsymbols that are non-polysemous to produce one of a plurality ofpreviously stored messages that may be a fringe vocabulary word,“apple,” “banana,” or “burrito,” for example.

The first level electronic screen overlay 700 of FIG. 5A includes bothtext-based and non-text-based visual indicators to help an operatordifferentiate between polysemous symbols that may be triggered as theinitial polysemous symbol in a plurality of longer sequences ofpolysemous symbols on sequentially linked electronic screen overlays andpolysemous symbols that may be triggered as the terminal symbol in a onesymbol sequence to produce a previously stored message. The virtual keys724, 728, and 732 corresponding to the APPLE 726 (Row 7, Column 5),ELEPHANT 730 (Row 5, Column 10), and KITCHEN 734 (Row 7, Column 11)symbols may all function as initial polysemous symbols in a plurality oflonger sequences. The keys corresponding to these symbols all includetext labels that are in CAPITAL letters (EAT, BIG, and TURNrespectively) and a small graphic non-text indicator in their top rightcorner (the recycle symbol) to indicate that they are initial symbols inlonger symbol sequences. The virtual keys 736, 740, and 744corresponding to VERB 738 (Row 3, Column 3), ADJECTIVE 742 (Row 3,Column 9), and NOUN 746 (Row 2, Column 10) symbols may function asterminal symbols in one symbol sequences on the first level electronicscreen overlay. The keys corresponding to these symbols both includetext labels that are in lower case letters and have no graphic non-textindicator (in their top right corner for example), which indicate thatthey are terminal symbols in one symbol sequences.

Each of a subset of less than all of the plurality of polysemous symbolsinclude visual indicators that may help an operator determine thegrammatical functions or parts of speech of a plurality of words,morphemes, phrases, or stored messages that may be produced usingpolysemous symbol sequences that include the symbol with the visualindicator. The background color of an individual key may be associatedwith a grammatical function or part of speech. For example, the virtualkey 710 with the I symbol 712 (Row 3, Column 1), virtual key 750 withthe YOU symbol 752 (Row 4, Column 1), and virtual key 754 with the ITsymbol 756 (Row 5, Column 1) include symbols that may be used inpolysemous symbol sequences to produce previously stored messages thatinclude a personal pronoun, and may have a common color (yellow forexample, each represented by checkered lines in FIG. 5A) background thatis unique to polysemous symbols associated with personal pronouns. Inanother example, the virtual key 736 with the VERB symbol 738 (Row 3,Column 3), the virtual key 758 with the VERB+S symbol 760 (Row 3, Column4), and the virtual key 762 with the VERB+ING symbol 764 (Row 3, Column5) include symbols that may be used in polysemous symbol sequences toproduce previously stored messages that include stem, past tense, andpresent progressive verb forms, and may have a common color (green forexample, each represented by diagonal lines in FIG. 5A for example)background that is unique to polysemous symbols associated with one ormore verbs. In another example, the virtual key 740 with the ADJECTIVEsymbol 742 (Row 3, Column 9), the virtual key 766 with the ADJECTIVE+ERsymbol 768 (Row 3, Column 10), and the virtual key 770 with theADJECTIVE+EST symbol 772 (Row 3, Column 11) symbols may be used inpolysemous symbol sequences to produce positive, comparative, andsuperlative adjectives, and may have a common color (blue for example,represented by horizontal lines in FIG. 5A for example) background thatis unique to polysemous symbols associated with one or more adjectives.In another example, the virtual key 744 with the NOUN symbol 746 (Row 2,Column 10) and the virtual key 774 with the NOUN+S symbol 776 (Row 2,Column 11) may be used in polysemous symbol sequences to producesingular and plural nouns, and may have a common color (orange forexample, represent by x′d lines in FIG. 5A for example) background thatis unique to polysemous symbols associated with one or more nouns. Allof these symbols associated with grammatical functions or parts ofspeech may have similar visual color indicators on second or third levellinked electronic overlays, as in FIGS. 5B and 5C.

FIG. 5B shows a second level linked electronic screen overlay 701 withan 84 location virtual keyboard similar to the 84 location virtualkeyboard of the first level electronic screen overlay 700 in FIG. 5A.This overlay 701, named the “APPLE” overlay for example, may beretrieved and displayed when the APPLE symbol 726 on the first levellinked electronic screen overlay 700 is triggered. Symbols on thisoverlay (some of which are the same as those in the same key locationsas FIG. 5A and some of which are embellished symbols) may be selected asthe second symbol in polysemous symbol sequences that begin with theAPPLE symbol 726, which is triggered on the first level electronicscreen overlay 700.

The I symbol 712 (Row 3, Column 1), VERB symbol 738, embellished fromsymbol 738 of FIG. 5A (Row 3, Column 3), ADJECTIVE symbol 743,embellished from symbol 742 of FIG. 5A (Row 3, Column 9), and MOUNTAINsymbol 745 (Row 5, Column 9) on the second level linked electronicscreen overlay 701 in FIG. 5B may be triggered as the terminal symbol insequences of two polysemous symbols beginning with the APPLE symbol 726.When a key corresponding to one of these symbols is triggered, thecorresponding previously stored message (corresponding to the two symbolsequence) is produced and the first level linked electronic overlay 700is retrieved and displayed once again. Lower case letters in the textlabels 747, 749 and 751 respectively on each of the keys correspondingto each of these symbols, and the absence of a small graphic non-textindicator in the top right corner of each of the keys corresponding tothese symbols serve as visual indicators to show an operator that thesesymbols function as the terminal symbols in their respective sequences.

The (embellished) DOG symbol 753 on the second level linked electronicscreen overlay 701 in FIG. 5B may be triggered as the intermediatesymbol in at least one sequence of three polysemous symbols beginningwith the APPLE 726 and DOG 753 symbols. When the key corresponding tothis (embellished) DOG symbol 753 is triggered, the third level linkedelectronic screen overlay 781 of FIG. 5C, named the “APPLE DOG” overlayfor example, may be retrieved and displayed. The key, including the(embellished) DOG symbol 753 on the second level linked electronicscreen overlay 701 in FIG. 5B, may include a text label 755 that is inCAPITAL letters and may include a small graphic non-text indicator 757(in the top right corner for example) to indicate that it is anintermediate symbol in one or more longer symbol sequences. The(embellished) DOG symbol 753 on the second level linked electronicoverlay 701 in FIG. 5B, may be used as an intermediate symbol inpolysemous symbol sequences for producing different forms of the verb“bite,” and may include visual indicators that may help an operatordetermine that it may be used as an intermediate symbol in polysemoussymbol sequences for producing one or more verbs. In particular, thevirtual key 755 corresponding to the (embellished) DOG symbol 753 maynow have a green background color that is the same as the greenbackground color found on the key 736 corresponding to polysemous VERBsymbol 738 (Row 3, Column 3) of FIGS. 5A, 5B, and SC (see the diagonallines indicating the common green color background of the keys 736, 738and 762 of FIG. 5A and 755 of FIG. 5B, for example, noting that theoriginal DOG symbol 778 at row 5, column 5 of FIG. 5A did not have sucha background originally). In this way, the green background color of theintermediate (embellished) DOG symbol may indicate an association withverbs as a grammatical function or part of speech.

The (embellished) PHONE symbol 759 (Row 6, Column 7) on the second levellinked electronic screen overlay 701 in FIG. 5B may be triggered as theintermediate symbol in at least one sequence of three polysemous symbolsbeginning with the APPLE 726 and PHONE 759 symbols. When this symbol istriggered, a third level linked electronic screen overlay, named the“APPLE PHONE” overlay may be retrieved and displayed. The key 765including the (embellished) PHONE symbol 759 on the second level linkedelectronic screen overlay 701 in FIG. 5B may include a text label 761that is in CAPITAL letters and a small graphic non-text indicator 763 inthe top right corner to indicate that it is an intermediate symbol inone or more longer symbol sequences. The PHONE symbol 759 on the secondlevel linked electronic overlay 701 in FIG. 5B may be used as anintermediate symbol in polysemous symbol sequences for producingdifferent forms of the adjective “delicious,” and the correspondingvirtual key 765 may include visual indicators that may help an operatordetermine that it may be used as an intermediate symbol in polysemoussymbol sequences for producing one or more adjectives. In particular,this key 765 may have a blue background color that is the same as theblue background color (note the horizontal lines on keys 740 and 765indicating the common blue background color) found on the key 740including the polysemous ADJECTIVE symbol 742 (Row 3, Column 9) of FIGS.5A and 5B. In this way, the blue background color of the intermediate(embellished) PHONE symbol may indicate an association with adjectivesas a grammatical function or part of speech.

The key 767 including the DAIRY symbol 769 (Row 1, Column 4) and the key771 including the FRUIT symbol 773 (Row 1, Column 5) on the second levellinked electronic screen overlay 701 in FIG. 5B are non-polysemoussymbols that are each associated with a semantically related category offringe words. Each of these symbols may include text labels that are inCAPITAL letters and non-text graphic indicators to indicate that theymay be triggered to retrieve a corresponding third level linkedelectronic screen overlay. The DAIRY symbol 769 on the second levellinked electronic screen overlay 701 in FIG. 5B may function as anintermediate symbol in one or more sequences of symbols on sequentiallylinked electronic screen overlays beginning with the polysemous APPLEsymbol 726 and the non-polysemous DAIRY symbol 769. When the DAIRYsymbol 769 is triggered, a third level linked electronic screen overlay,named the “APPLE DAIRY” overlay for example may be retrieved anddisplayed. This “APPLE DAIRY” overlay may include one or morenon-polysemous symbols corresponding to previously stored messages thatare members of the category of “dairy” words. Examples of “dairy” wordsmay include “milk,” “cheese,” and “yogurt.” The FRUIT symbol 773 on thesecond level linked electronic screen overlay 701 in FIG. 5B mayfunction as an intermediate symbol in one or more sequences of symbolson sequentially linked electronic screen overlays beginning with thepolysemous APPLE symbol 726 and the non-polysemous FRUIT symbol 773.When the FRUIT symbol 773 is triggered, the third level linkedelectronic overlay 800 of FIG. 6, named the “APPLE FRUIT” overlay forexample may be retrieved and displayed. This “APPLE FRUIT” overlay mayinclude one or more non-polysemous symbols corresponding to previouslystored messages that are members of the category of “fruit” words.

FIG. 5C shows a third level linked electronic screen overlay 781 with an84 location virtual keyboard similar to the 84 location virtual keyboardof the first level electronic screen overlay in FIG. 5A. This overlay,named the “APPLE DOG” overlay, may be retrieved and displayed when theAPPLE symbol 726 on the first level linked electronic screen overlay 700is triggered and then the (embellished) DOG symbol 753 on thecorresponding second level linked electronic overlay 701 is triggered.Symbols on this overlay 781 may be selected as the third symbol inpolysemous symbol sequences that begin with the APPLE 726 and DOG 753symbols.

The available symbols on third level linked electronic screen overlay781 of FIG. 5C may each be triggered or selected as the terminal symbolin various sequences of three polysemous symbols used to producedifferent forms of the verb “bite.” Lower case letters on the textlabels of each of these symbols and the absence of a non-text visualindicator indicate that each of these symbols may be triggered as theterminal symbol in a sequence. These keys may have a green backgroundcolor that is the same as the green background color (note the diagonallines on each key indicating the common green background color) found oneach key of FIG. 5C and the key 738 including the polysemous VERB symbol(Row 3, Column 3) of FIGS. 5A and 5B. The green background color of eachof these symbols may indicate an association with verbs as a grammaticalfunction or part of speech.

FIG. 5D shows a second level linked electronic screen overlay 791 withan 84 location virtual keyboard similar to the 84 location virtualkeyboard of the first level electronic screen overlay in FIG. 5A. Thisis an example using a two symbol sequence including a polysemous andnon-polysemous symbol. This overlay, named the “MONEY” overlay, may beretrieved and displayed when the MONEY symbol 744 (Row 4, Column 7) onthe first level linked electronic screen overlay 700 is triggered orselected. The key 731 including the PENNY symbol 733, the key 735including the NICKEL symbol 737, the key including the DIME symbol 727,and the key including the QUARTER symbol 729 on the second level linkedelectronic screen overlay 791 in FIG. 5D are non-polysemous symbols thatare each associated with fringe vocabulary words that are members of thesemantically related category of “money” words. The words associatedwith each of these non-polysemous symbols, namely “penny,” “nickel,”“dime,” and “quarter” can each be produced with unique sequences of twokeystrokes that include one polysemous symbol and one non-polysemoussymbol. The key including the MOUNTAIN symbol 745, the key including theRAINBOW symbol 722, and the key including the APPLE symbol 726 on thesecond level linked electronic screen overlay 791 in FIG. 5D allfunction as the intermediate symbol in at least one sequence of threepolysemous symbols. A corresponding third level linked electronicoverlay is retrieved and displayed when any of these intermediatepolysemous symbols is triggered or selected. Each of these keys includesa text label with CAPITAL letters and a non-text graphic indicator toindicate that they may be triggered as the intermediate symbol in one ormore longer polysemous symbol sequences. The MOUNTAIN symbol 745,RAINBOW symbol 722, and APPLE symbol 726 on the second level linkedelectronic screen overlay 791 in FIG. 5D are not embellished, meaningthat they have the same appearance as the corresponding MOUNTAIN 745,RAINBOW 722, and APPLE 726 symbols of the first level linked electronicscreen overlay 700 of FIG. 5A.

The keys including the MOUNTAIN 745 and APPLE 726 symbols on the secondlevel linked electronic screen overlay 791 in FIG. 5D may be triggeredor selected as intermediate symbols in longer polysemous symbolsequences to produce different forms of the verbs “check” and “shop,”respectively. These keys may have a green background color that is thesame as the green background color (note the diagonal lines on each keyindicating the common green background color) found on each key of FIG.5C and the key 736 including the polysemous VERB symbol (Row 3, Column3) of FIG. 5A. The key including the RAINBOW symbol 722 on the secondlevel linked electronic screen overlay 791 in FIG. 5D may be triggeredor selected as an intermediate symbol in longer polysemous symbolsequences to produce different forms of the adjective “cheap.” Inparticular, this key may have a blue background color that is the sameas the blue background color (note the horizontal lines indicating thecommon blue background color) found on the key 740 including thepolysemous ADJECTIVE symbol 742 (Row 3, Column 9) of FIG. 5A. Thebackground colors of each of these keys may indicate an association witha grammatical function or part of speech.

FIG. 6 shows a third level linked electronic screen overlay 800 with an84 location virtual keyboard similar to the 84 location virtual keyboardof the first level electronic screen overlay 700 in FIG. 5A. Thisoverlay 800, named the “APPLE FRUIT” overlay, may be retrieved anddisplayed when the polysemous APPLE symbol 726 on the first level linkedelectronic screen overlay 700 of FIG. 5A is triggered and then thenon-polysemous FRUIT symbol 773 on the corresponding second level linkedelectronic overlay 701 of FIG. 5B is triggered. Each of the locations onthe virtual keyboard of the “APPLE FRUIT” overlay of FIG. 6 may includea relatively centrally disposed non-polysemous symbol corresponding to apreviously stored message that is a member of the category of “fruit”words. Since all of the locations of the “APPLE FRUIT” overlay maycorrespond to members of the category of “fruit” words, as many as 84members of the “fruit” category may be produced with unique sequences ofonly three keystrokes each. Lower case letters on the text labels ofeach of these symbols and the absence of a non-text visual indicatorindicate that each of the keys including non-polysemous symbols onlinked electronic screen overlay 800 of FIG. 6 may be triggered as theterminal symbol in a sequence.

As such, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, there is asystem, method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacturefor accessing fringe vocabulary words on sequentially linked electronicscreen overlays with improved efficiency and fewer keystrokes, where atleast the initial symbol in a sequence is polysemous and at least theterminal symbol in a sequence is non-polysemous.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, there is a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture foraccessing fringe vocabulary words on sequentially linked electronicscreen overlays with a sequence of two symbols on two sequentiallylinked electronic screen overlays. In at least one embodiment of thepresent invention, the system and/or method comprises at least thefollowing.

Triggering or selection of one of a plurality of polysemous symbols onthe first level electronic screen overlay occurs, as described above, toretrieve and display a second level electronic screen overlay with avirtual keyboard, where less than all of the plurality of keys on thevirtual keyboard include centrally disposed symbols that arenon-polysemous. An operator selects, and the processor 120 receivesindication of selection of, a polysemous symbol on the first levelelectronic screen overlay CORE HOME of the touch sensitive screen 112 asdescribed above. This polysemous symbol is marked in the database inmemory 102 with a pointer to a secondary electronic screen overlay. Theprocessor 120 controls contents of this second level electronic screenoverlay to replace the content of the CORE HOME overlay on the touchsensitive display 112 from which the initial polysemous symbol wasselected.

At least one of the less than all of a plurality of symbols on thecurrently displayed second level electronic screen overlay that arenon-polysemous triggers, upon selection, a previously stored message ofa letter, word, morpheme, phrase, sentence, or plural word message, thusfunctioning as the terminal symbol in a sequence. At least one of theless than all of a plurality of symbols, displayed on the currentlydisplayed second level electronic screen overlay of the touch sensitivedisplay 112, that is non-polysemous is linked in the database stored inmemory 120 to a previously stored text string or other type of message,thus functioning as the terminal symbol in a sequence.

The operator triggers (and the processor 120 receives and determines anindication of such) one of the less than all of a plurality of symbolson the currently displayed second level electronic screen overlay thatare non-polysemous and function as the terminal symbols in sequences andthereafter the processor 120 triggers output of a previously storedmessage from memory 102. This triggers production of the correspondingpreviously stored message and the processor 120 retrieves and displaysthe first level electronic screen overlay (CORE HOME overlay) so thatthe operator may begin the next task, production of another symbolsequence, for example.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, there is a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture of foraccessing fringe vocabulary words on sequentially linked electronicscreen overlays with a sequence of two symbols on two sequentiallylinked electronic screen overlays, as described above, where thesequence includes an initial polysemous symbol on the first levelelectronic screen overlay and a terminal non-polysemous symbol on asecond level electronic screen overlay.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, there is a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture of foraccessing fringe vocabulary words on sequentially linked electronicscreen overlays with a sequence of two symbols on two sequentiallylinked electronic screen overlays, as described above, where an initialpolysemous symbol may be triggered on the first level electronic screenoverlay to retrieve and display a second-level electronic screen overlaywith two or more non-polysemous symbols that function as the terminalsymbols in two or more sequences, and where the previously storedmessages corresponding to these two or more non-polysemous symbols aremembers of the same category. For example, non-polysemous symbolscorresponding to the words penny, nickel, dime, quarter, and dollar maybe located on a second-level electronic screen overlay that is retrievedand displayed when a polysemous money symbol (such as those of FIG. 5Dfor example) is triggered.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention as will be describedhereafter, there is a system, method, computer readable medium and/orarticle of manufacture of for accessing fringe vocabulary words onsequentially linked electronic screen overlays with a sequence of threesymbols on three sequentially linked electronic screen overlays. In atleast one embodiment of the present invention as will be describedhereafter, the system, method, computer readable medium and/or articleof manufacture comprises at least the following.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention as will be describedhereafter, the method (and somewhat similarly the apparatus and articleof manufacture) includes displaying, on a display 112 for example, avirtual keyboard including a plurality of polysemous symbols forselection on an initial electronic screen overlay; storing, in a memory102 for example, a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols inassociation with a pointer identifying display of an electronic screenoverlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay;displaying a second electronic screen overlay on the display 112 forexample, in response to initial selection of one of the providedpolysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlay being theelectronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemous symboland including a virtual keyboard wherein less than all of a plurality ofkey locations on the virtual keyboard include a non-polysemous symbol;and either displaying a third electronic screen overlay on the displayin place of the second electronic screen overlay, or outputting at leastone of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme,command and phrase, in response to selection of one of thenon-polysemous symbols.

In at least one embodiment of a method of the present invention as willbe described hereafter, at least a majority of the non-polysemoussymbols on the second level electronic screen overlay belong to the samesemantic category.

In at least one embodiment of a method of the present invention as willbe described hereafter, the third level electronic screen overlayincludes a virtual keyboard, and wherein at least a majority of theplurality of keys on the virtual keyboard includes a non-polysemoussymbol.

In at least one embodiment of a method of the present invention as willbe described hereafter, at least a majority of the non-polysemoussymbols on the third level electronic screen overlay belong to the samesemantic category.

In at least one embodiment of a method of the present invention as willbe described hereafter, the method includes outputting at least one of aword, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command andphrase and displaying the initial electronic screen overlay in place ofthe third electronic screen overlay, in response to the third electronicscreen being displayed and in response to subsequent selection of one ofthe non-polysemous symbols of the third electronic screen overlay.

In at least one embodiment of the invention, a virtual keyboard isinitially displayed on an initial electronic screen overlay on display112 for example, including a plurality of polysemous symbols forselection. The operator then triggers or selects (and the processor 120detects and determines the location and identity therefor in a mannersimilar to that described above) one of the plurality of polysemoussymbols on the initial or first level electronic screen overlay, toretrieve and display a second level electronic screen overlay with avirtual keyboard (via the processor 120 accessing a pointer stored inmemory 102 with the selected symbol as described previously), whereinless than all of the plurality of key locations on the virtual keyboardof the second level electronic screen overlay include a non-polysemoussymbol, or preferably a centrally disposed non-polysemous symbol.

Thus, operator first selects (and the processor 120 detects anddetermines the location and identity therefor in the manner describedpreviously) a polysemous symbol on the first level electronic screenoverlay (CORE HOME overlay) as described above. This polysemous symbolmay be marked in the database with a pointer to a second levelelectronic screen overlay in memory 102. The contents of this secondlevel electronic screen overlay, wherein less than all of the pluralityof key locations on the virtual keyboard of the second level electronicscreen overlay include a non-polysemous symbol, may then replace thecontent of the CORE HOME overlay on the touch sensitive display 112 fromwhich the initial polysemous symbol was selected.

At least one of the less than all of a plurality of symbols on thecurrently displayed second level electronic display that arenon-polysemous may be associated with a semantically related category(thus the non-polysemous symbols may belong to the same semanticallyrelated category), such as for example words, fruits, vegetables, tools,Presidents of the United States, etc.; and may include an embedded linkto a third level electronic screen overlay. Such non-polysemous symbolsmay thus function as an intermediate symbol in a sequence.

The operator triggers or selects one of the less than all of theplurality of non-polysemous symbols, displayed on the currentlydisplayed second level electronic screen overlay, that includes anembedded link (or pointer) to a third level electronic screen overlay.This triggers the processor 120 to retrieve and display a correspondingthird level electronic screen overlay that includes a virtual keyboard,where each of the plurality of keys on the virtual keyboard may includea non-polysemous symbol. As such, display of the third electronicoverlay may be triggered by selection of a non-polysemous symbol. In asystem with 84 total locations for example, the third level electronicscreen overlay may contain up to 84 non-polysemous symbols representingfringe vocabulary words.

Of course, it should further be understood at least one of the displayednon-polysemous symbols of the displayed second level electronic screenoverlay may also not include an embedded link or pointer, and mayinstead an output may occur, upon selection of such a non-polysemoussymbol, of at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter,number, morpheme, command and phrase (in a manner similar to thatdescribed previously for example).

At least a majority of the plurality of symbols on the displayed thirdlevel electronic screen overlay (if display is triggered) may benon-polysemous, and selection thereof may thereafter trigger output of apreviously stored message of a word, phrase, sentence, or plural wordmessage that is a member of the semantically related category of wordsthat relates to the non-polysemous symbol that was just triggered on thesecond level electronic screen overlay, thus functioning as the terminalsymbol in a sequence. For example, if an operator has triggered anon-polysemous symbol that relates to a fruit category on a second levelelectronic screen overlay, non-polysemous symbols on the correspondingthird level electronic screen overlay may include symbols for types offruits such as apple, banana, grape, pineapple, etc. In another example,if an operator has triggered a non-polysemous symbol that relates to avegetable category, non-polysemous symbols on the corresponding thirdlevel electronic screen overlay may include symbols for types ofvegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, and onion.

The operator selects one of the plurality of symbols on the currentlydisplayed third level electronic screen overlay that are non-polysemous,and thus triggers the processor 120 to access a previously storedmessage. This triggers the output of the corresponding previously storedmessage. In addition to acting upon a linked text string as describedabove, the selection of a terminal symbol may also trigger the contentsof the currently displayed electronic screen overlay to be replaced bythe contents of the first level electronic screen overlay (CORE HOMEoverlay) in a manner similar to that described above (simultaneous orsubsequent to the output).

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, there is a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture foraccessing fringe vocabulary words on sequentially linked electronicscreen overlays with a sequence of three symbols on three sequentiallylinked electronic screen overlays, as described above, where thesequence includes an initial polysemous symbol on the first levelelectronic screen overlay, an intermediate non-polysemous symbol on asecond level electronic screen overlay, and a terminal non-polysemoussymbol on a third level electronic screen overlay.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, there is a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture foraccessing fringe vocabulary words on sequentially linked electronicscreen overlays with a sequence of three symbols on three sequentiallylinked electronic screen overlays, as described above, where an initialpolysemous symbol may be triggered on the first level electronic screenoverlay to retrieve and display a second-level electronic screen overlaythat includes at least one non-polysemous symbol that functions as anintermediate symbol in two or more sequences, and where these at leastone non-polysemous symbols may be related to a semantic category. Forexample, a non-polysemous “ROOM” symbol may be used as the intermediatesymbol in sequences to produce “bedroom,” “cafeteria,” “bathroom,”“garage,” and “gym,” because all of these words are members of thecategory ROOM.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, there is a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture foraccessing fringe vocabulary words on sequentially linked electronicscreen overlays with a sequence of three symbols on three sequentiallylinked electronic screen overlays, as described above, where an initialpolysemous symbol may be triggered on the first level electronic screenoverlay to retrieve and display a second-level electronic screen overlaythat includes at least two non-polysemous symbols that each function asintermediate symbols in two or more sequences, as described above. Assuch, the second level electronic screen overlay may contain multipleintermediate symbols that are non-polysemous, each of which may relateto a different semantic category. For example intermediatenon-polysemous symbols for the categories “FRUIT,” “MEAT,” and “MEXICANFOOD” may all be available on the second level electronic screen overlay701 that is displayed when the polysemous APPLE symbol 726 is selectedon the first-level electronic screen overlay 700.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, there is a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture foraccessing fringe vocabulary on sequentially linked electronic screenoverlays with a sequence of three symbols on three sequentially linkedelectronic screen overlays, as described above, where the intermediatenon-polysemous symbol corresponds to a category of words, as describedabove, and where the terminal non-polysemous symbol triggers apreviously stored message of a word, phrase, sentence, or plural wordmessage that is a member of the semantic category corresponding to theintermediate non-polysemous symbol.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, there is a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture foraccessing fringe vocabulary words on sequentially linked electronicscreen overlays with sequences of three symbols on three sequentiallylinked electronic screen overlays, as described above, where two or moresequences include the same intermediate non-polysemous symbol on thesame second level electronic screen overlay, as described above, anddifferent terminal non-polysemous symbols on the same third levelelectronic screen overlay.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, there is a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture foraccessing fringe vocabulary words on sequentially linked electronicscreen overlays with sequences of three symbols on three sequentiallylinked electronic screen overlays, as described above, where two or moresequences include the same intermediate non-polysemous symbol on thesame second level electronic screen overlay, as described above, anddifferent terminal non-polysemous symbols on the same third levelelectronic screen overlay, and where each of the terminal non-polysemoussymbols triggers a previously stored message of a word, phrase,sentence, or plural word message that is a member of the semanticcategory corresponding to the intermediate non-polysemous symbol.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, there is a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture foraccessing fringe vocabulary words on sequentially linked electronicscreen overlays with a sequence of three symbols on three sequentiallylinked electronic screen overlays, as described above, where a thirdlevel electronic screen overlay includes a virtual keyboard and each ofa plurality of keys on that virtual keyboard may optionally include acentrally disposed non-polysemous symbol that functions as the terminalsymbol in a sequence of three symbols on three sequentially linkedelectronic screen overlays.

In at least one embodiment of the present invention, there is a system,method, computer readable medium and/or article of manufacture foraccessing fringe vocabulary words on sequentially linked electronicscreen overlays with a sequence of three symbols on three sequentiallylinked electronic screen overlays, as described above, where a thirdlevel electronic screen overlay includes a virtual keyboard and all of aplurality of keys on that virtual keyboard include a centrally disposednon-polysemous symbol that functions as the terminal symbol in asequence of three symbols on three sequentially linked electronic screenoverlays.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to amethod, comprising: providing polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display 112 forexample, a plurality of the provided polysemous symbols including eithera visual indicator indicating that the symbol functions as the terminalsymbol in a sequence of one polysemous symbol or a visual indicatorindicating a link to a next level electronic screen overlay which isdifferent from the initial electronic screen overlay; storing, in amemory 102 for example and in association with each one of the pluralityof polysemous symbols, a pointer identifying a response function thatcorresponds to the type of visual indicator that is included with thesymbol, and executing the appropriate response function when anypolysemous symbol is selected.

The method may further comprise: outputting at least one of a word,sentence, phoneme, message, letter, morpheme, command and phrase beingstored in memory 102 for example in association with a polysemous symbolon the initial electronic screen overlay that includes a visualindicator indicating that the symbol functions as the terminal symbol ina sequence of one polysemous symbol in response to initial selection ofthat polysemous symbol.

The method may further comprise: storing, in a memory 102 for exampleand in association with each one of the plurality of polysemous symbolsthat include a visual indicator indicating a link to a next levelelectronic screen overlay which is different from the initial electronicscreen overlay; a pointer identifying display of the second electronicscreen overlay which is different from the initial electronic screenoverlay; and displaying the second electronic screen overlay which isdifferent from the initial electronic screen overlay on the display 112for example, in response to initial selection of a respective one of theplurality of polysemous symbols including the visual indicatorindicating a link to a next level electronic overlay, the next levelelectronic screen overlay being the second electronic screen overlayassociated with the selected polysemous symbol.

The second electronic screen overlay may be displayed in place of theinitial electronic screen overlay.

The method may further comprise: receiving via a processor 120 forexample, an indication of selection of the one of the plurality ofpolysemous symbols that includes a visual indicator indicating a link toa next level electronic screen overlay; and controlling, via theprocessor 120 for example, the display 112 for example to display thesecond electronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemoussymbol upon the processor receiving the indication of selection.

The method may further comprise: providing a plurality of polysemoussymbols or non-polysemous symbols for selection on the second electronicscreen overlay, a plurality of the provided symbols including either avisual indicator indicating that the symbol functions as the terminalsymbol in a two-symbol sequence or a visual indicator indicating a linkto a third electronic screen overlay which is different from the secondelectronic screen overlay; storing, in a memory 102 for example and inassociation with each one of the plurality of polysemous ornon-polysemous symbols, a pointer identifying a response function thatcorresponds to the type of visual indicator that is included with thesymbol, and executing the appropriate response function when any symbolis selected.

The method may further comprise: outputting at least one of a word,sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrasein response to selection of one of the provided polysemous ornon-polysemous symbols on the displayed second electronic screen overlaythat includes a visual indicator indicating that the symbol functions asthe terminal symbol in a two-symbol sequence, the output at least one ofa word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, commandand phrase being stored in the memory in association with a symbolsequence including the initially selected polysemous symbol and theselected one of the provided symbols on the displayed second electronicscreen overlay.

The method may further comprise: storing, in a memory 102 for exampleand in association with each one of the plurality of selectablepolysemous or non-polysemous symbols that includes a visual indicatorindicating a link to a next level electronic screen overlay, a pointeridentifying display of third electronic screen overlay which isdifferent from the second electronic screen overlay; and displaying athird electronic screen overlay on the display 112 for example, inresponse to selection of one of the selectable polysemous symbols of thedisplayed second electronic screen overlay that includes a visualindicator indicating a link to a next level electronic screen overlay,the third electronic screen overlay being associated with the selectedone of the polysemous symbols of the displayed second electronic screenoverlay.

The third electronic screen overlay may be displayed in place of thesecond electronic screen overlay.

The method may further comprise: receiving via a processor 120 forexample, an indication of selection of the one of the polysemous ornon-polysemous symbols displayed on the second electronic screen overlaythat includes a visual indicator indicating a link to a next levelelectronic screen overlay; and controlling, via the processor 120 forexample, the display 112 for example to display the third electronicscreen overlay associated with the selected one of the symbols displayedon the second electronic screen overlay upon the processor receiving theindication of selection.

The method may further comprise: providing a plurality of polysemoussymbols or non-polysemous symbols for selection on the displayed thirdelectronic screen overlay, a plurality of the provided symbols includinga visual indicator indicating that the symbol functions as the terminalsymbol in a sequence; storing, in a memory 102 for example and inassociation with each one of the plurality of polysemous symbols, apointer identifying a response function that corresponds to the visualindicator indicating that the symbol functions as the terminal symbol ina sequence; and executing the appropriate response function when asymbol is selected.

The method may further comprise: outputting at least one of a word,phoneme, message and phrase in response to selection of one of theprovided symbols on the displayed third electronic screen overlay thatincludes an indicator indicating that the symbol functions as theterminal symbol in a sequence, the output at least one of a word,sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrasebeing stored in the memory 102 for example in association with a symbolsequence including the initially selected polysemous symbol, theselected one of the provided symbols on the displayed second electronicscreen overlay and the selected one of the provided symbols on thedisplayed third electronic screen overlay.

The visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronicoverlay may include a symbol displayed in addition to the polysemoussymbol, wherein the symbol may include at least one graphic indicatordisplayed in addition to the polysemous symbol.

The visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronicoverlay may include at least one non-text indicator displayed inaddition to the polysemous symbol, wherein the at least one non-textindicator may include at least one arrow.

The visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronicoverlay may include at least one text-based indicator displayed inaddition to the polysemous symbol, and the at least one text-basedindicator may include upper case letters.

The visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronic screenoverlay on the initial electronic screen overlay may be differentiatedfrom the visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronicoverlay. For example, non-text indicators may be different colors oninitial and second electronic screen overlays.

The visual indicator indicating that a symbol functions as the terminalsymbol in a polysemous symbol sequence may include at least one non-textindicator displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol, a graphic of asmall circle in the corner of a key, for example.

The visual indicator that functions as the terminal symbol in apolysemous symbol sequence may include at least one non-text indicatorthat is not displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol, the absenceof a non-text indicator indicating a link to a next level electronicoverlay, for example.

The visual indicator indicating that a symbol functions as the terminalsymbol in a polysemous symbol sequence may include at least onetext-based indicator that is displayed in addition to the polysemoussymbol, and the at least one text-based indicator may include lower caseletters.

Either the visual indicator indicating that the symbol functions as theterminal symbol in a symbol sequence or the visual indicator indicatinga link to a next level electronic screen overlay may be displayed on atleast one key in addition to at least one non-polysemous symbol.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anapparatus, comprising: an integrated input and display device 112 forexample configured to provide polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay, a plurality of the providedpolysemous symbols including either a visual indicator indicating thatthe symbol functions as the terminal symbol in a sequence of onepolysemous symbol or a visual indicator indicating a link to a nextlevel electronic screen overlay which is different from the initialelectronic screen overlay; and a memory 102 for example configured tostore, in association with each one of the plurality of polysemoussymbols, a pointer identifying a response function that corresponds tothe type of visual indicator that is included with the symbol, andexecuting the appropriate response function when any polysemous symbolis selected.

The apparatus may further comprise: outputting at least one of a word,sentence, phoneme, message, letter, morpheme, command and phrase beingstored in memory 102 for example in association with a polysemous symbolon the initial electronic screen overlay that includes a visualindicator indicating that the symbol functions as the terminal symbol ina sequence of one polysemous symbol in response to initial selection ofthat polysemous symbol.

The apparatus may further comprise: a memory 102 for example configuredto store, in association with each one of the plurality of polysemoussymbols that include a visual indicator indicating a link to a nextlevel electronic screen overlay which is different from the initialelectronic screen overlay; a pointer identifying display of a secondelectronic screen overlay which is different from the initial electronicscreen overlay, the integrated input and display device being configuredto display the second electronic screen overlay which is different fromthe initial electronic screen overlay, in response to initial selectionof a respective one of the plurality of polysemous symbols including thevisual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronic screenoverlay, the next level electronic screen overlay being the secondelectronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemoussymbol.

The second electronic screen overlay may be displayed in place of theinitial electronic screen overlay.

The apparatus may further comprise: a processor 120 for exampleconfigured to receive an indication of selection of one of the pluralityof polysemous symbols that includes a visual indicator indicating a linkto a next level electronic screen overlay, and control the integratedinput and display device 112 for example to display the secondelectronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemous symbolupon the processor receiving the indication of selection.

The apparatus may further comprise: an integrated input and displaydevice 112 for example configured to provide a plurality of polysemoussymbols or non-polysemous symbols for selection on the second electronicscreen overlay, a plurality of the provided symbols including either avisual indicator indicating that the symbol functions as the terminalsymbol in a two-symbol sequence or a visual indicator indicating a linkto a third electronic screen overlay which is different from the secondelectronic screen overlay; storing, in a memory 102 for example and inassociation with each one of the plurality of polysemous ornon-polysemous symbols, a pointer identifying a response function thatcorresponds to the type of visual indicator that is included with thesymbol, and executing the appropriate response function when any symbolis selected.

The apparatus may further comprise: an output device, configured tooutput at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter,number, morpheme, command and phrase in response to selection of one ofthe provided symbols on the displayed second electronic screen overlaythat includes a visual indicator indicating that the symbol functions asthe terminal symbol in a two symbol sequence, the output at least one ofa word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, commandand phrase being stored in the memory in association with a symbolsequence including the initially selected polysemous symbol and theselected one of the provided symbols on the displayed second electronicscreen overlay.

The memory 102 for example may be further configured to store each ofthe plurality of the selectable polysemous or non-polysemous symbols onthe second electronic screen overlay that includes a visual indicatorindicating a link to a next level electronic screen overlay, inassociation with a pointer identifying display of third electronicscreen overlay which is different from the second electronic screenoverlay; and wherein the integrated input and display device isconfigured to display a third electronic screen overlay, in response toselection of one of the selectable polysemous symbols of the displayedsecond electronic screen overlay that includes a visual indicatorindicating a link to a next level electronic screen overlay, the thirdelectronic screen overlay being associated with the selected one of thepolysemous symbols of the displayed second electronic screen overlay.

The third electronic screen overlay may be displayed in place of thesecond electronic screen overlay.

The apparatus may further comprise: a processor 102 for exampleconfigured to receive an indication of selection of the one of thepolysemous or non-polysemous symbols displayed on the second electronicscreen overlay that includes a visual indicator indicating a link to anext level electronic screen overlay; and control the integrated inputand display device to display to display the third electronic screenoverlay associated with the selected one of the polysemous symbolsdisplayed on the second electronic screen overlay upon the processorreceiving the indication of selection.

The apparatus may further comprise: an integrated input and displaydevice 112 for example configured to provide a plurality of polysemoussymbols or non-polysemous symbols for selection on the third electronicscreen overlay, a plurality of the provided symbols including a visualindicator indicating that the symbol functions as the terminal symbol ina sequence; storing, in a memory and in association with each one of theplurality of symbols, a pointer identifying a response function thatcorresponds to the visual indicator indicating that the symbol functionsas the terminal symbol in a sequence, and executing the appropriateresponse function when a symbol is selected.

The apparatus may further comprise: an output device, configured tooutput at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message letter,number, morpheme, command and phrase in response to selection of one ofthe provided symbols on the displayed third electronic screen overlaythat includes a visual indicator indicating that the symbol functions asthe terminal symbol in a sequence, the output at least one of a word,sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrasebeing stored in the memory in association with a symbol sequenceincluding the initially selected polysemous symbol, the selected one ofthe provided symbols on the displayed second electronic screen overlayand the selected one of the provided symbols on the displayed thirdelectronic screen overlay.

The visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronicoverlay may include a symbol displayed in addition to the polysemoussymbol, wherein the symbol may include at least one graphic indicatordisplayed in addition to the polysemous symbol.

The visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronicoverlay may include at least one non-text indicator displayed inaddition to the polysemous symbol, wherein the at least one non-textindicator may include at least one arrow

The visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronicoverlay may include at least one text-based indicator displayed inaddition to the polysemous symbol, and the at least one text-basedindicator may include upper case letters.

The visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronic screenoverlay on the initial electronic screen overlay may be differentiatedfrom the visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronicoverlay. For example, non-text indicators may be different colors oninitial and secondary electronic screen overlays.

The visual indicator indicating that a symbol functions as the terminalsymbol in a polysemous symbol sequence may include at least one non-textindicator displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol, a graphic of asmall circle in the corner of a key, for example.

The visual indicator that functions as the terminal symbol in apolysemous symbol sequence may include at least one non-text indicatorthat is not displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol, the absenceof a non-text indicator indicating a link to a next level electronicoverlay, for example.

The visual indicator indicating that a symbol functions as the terminalsymbol in a polysemous symbol sequence may include at least onetext-based indicator that is displayed in addition to the polysemoussymbol, and the at least one text-based indicator may include lower caseletters.

Either the visual indicator indicating that the symbol functions as theterminal symbol in a symbol sequence or the visual indicator indicatinga link to a next level electronic screen overlay may be displayed on atleast one key in addition to at least one non-polysemous symbol.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anarticle of manufacture, comprising: a first code segment for causing thecomputer device to provide polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display, a plurality ofthe provided polysemous symbols including either a visual indicatorindicating that the symbol functions as the terminal symbol in asequence of one polysemous symbol or a visual indicator indicating alink to a next level electronic screen overlay which is different fromthe initial electronic screen overlay

The article of manufacture may further comprise: a second code segmentfor causing the computer device to output at least one of a word,sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrasein response to selection of one of the provided symbols on the initialelectronic screen overlay that includes a visual indicator indicatingthat the symbol functions as the terminal symbol in a sequence of onepolysemous symbol, the output at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase being stored inthe memory in association with a symbol sequence including the initiallyselected polysemous symbol.

The article of manufacture may further comprise: a second code segmentfor causing the computer device to store, in a memory and in associationwith each one of the plurality of polysemous symbols that includes avisual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronic screenoverlay, a pointer identifying display of the second electronic screenoverlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay;and a third code segment for causing the computer device to display thesecond electronic screen overlay which is different from the initialelectronic screen overlay on the display, in response to initialselection of a respective one of the plurality of polysemous symbolsthat includes a visual indicator indicating a link to a next levelelectronic screen overlay, the next level electronic screen overlaybeing the second electronic screen overlay associated with the selectedpolysemous symbol.

The second electronic screen overlay may be displayed in place of theinitial electronic screen overlay.

The article of manufacture may further comprise: a fourth code segmentfor causing the computer device to receive, via a processor, anindication of selection of the one of the plurality of polysemoussymbols that includes a visual indicator indicating a link to a nextlevel electronic screen overlay; and a fifth code segment for causingthe computer device to control, via the processor, the display todisplay the second electronic screen overlay associated with theselected polysemous symbol upon the processor receiving the indicationof selection.

The article of manufacture may further comprise: a fifth code segmentfor causing the computer device to control, via the processor, thedisplay to display the second electronic screen overlay associated withthe selected polysemous symbol that includes a visual indicatorindicating a link to a next level electronic screen overlay, wherein thesecond electronic screen overlay includes a display of a plurality ofpolysemous symbols or non-polysemous symbols for selection that eachinclude either a visual indicator indicating that the symbol functionsas the terminal symbol in a two-symbol sequence or a visual indicatorindicating a link to a third electronic screen overlay which isdifferent from the secondary electronic screen overlay.

The article of manufacture may further comprise: a sixth code segmentfor causing the computer device to output at least one of a word,sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrasein response to selection of one of the provided symbols on the displayedsecond electronic screen overlay that includes a visual indicatorindicating that the symbol functions as the terminal symbol in atwo-symbol sequence, the output at least one of a word, sentence,phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase beingstored in the memory in association with a symbol sequence including theinitially selected polysemous symbol, the selected one of the providedsymbols on the displayed second electronic screen overlay.

The article of manufacture may further comprise: a sixth code segmentfor causing the computer device to store, in a memory and in associationwith each one of the plurality of polysemous symbols that includes avisual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronic screenoverlay, in association with a pointer identifying display of thirdelectronic screen overlay which is different from the second electronicscreen overlay; and a seventh code segment for causing the computerdevice to display a third electronic screen overlay on the display, inresponse to selection of one of the selectable polysemous ornon-polysemous symbols of the displayed second electronic screen overlaythat includes a visual indicator indicating a link to a next levelelectronic screen overlay, the third electronic screen overlay beingassociated with the selected one of the symbols of the displayed secondelectronic screen overlay.

The third electronic screen overlay may be displayed in place of thesecond electronic screen overlay.

The article of manufacture may further comprise: an eight code segmentfor causing the computer device to receive, via a processor, anindication of selection of the one of the polysemous symbols displayedon the second electronic screen overlay that includes a visual indicatorindicating a link to a next level electronic screen overlay; and a ninthcode segment for causing the computer device to control, via theprocessor, the display to display the third electronic screen overlayassociated with the selected one of the polysemous symbols displayed onthe next level electronic screen overlay upon the processor receivingthe indication of selection.

The article of manufacture may further comprise: a ninth code segmentfor causing the computer device to control, via the processor, thedisplay to display the third electronic screen overlay associated with aselected polysemous symbol on the second electronic screen overlay thatincludes a visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronicscreen overlay, wherein the third electronic screen overlay includes adisplay of a plurality of polysemous symbols or non-polysemous symbolsfor selection that each include a visual indicator indicating that thesymbol functions as the terminal symbol in a symbol sequence.

The article of manufacture may further comprise: a tenth code segmentfor causing the computer device to output at least one of a word,sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrasein response to selection of one of the provided symbols on the displayedthird electronic screen overlay that includes a visual indicatorindicating that the symbol functions as the terminal symbol in a symbolsequence, the output at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message,letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase being stored in the memoryin association with a symbol sequence including the initially selectedpolysemous symbol, the selected one of the provided symbols on thedisplayed second electronic screen overlay and the selected one of theprovided symbols on the displayed third electronic screen overlay.

The visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronicoverlay may include a symbol displayed in addition to the polysemoussymbol, wherein the symbol may include at least one graphic indicatordisplayed in addition to the polysemous symbol.

The visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronicoverlay may include at least one non-text indicator displayed inaddition to the polysemous symbol, wherein the at least one non-textindicator may include at least one arrow

The visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronicoverlay may include at least one text-based indicator displayed inaddition to the polysemous symbol, and the at least one text-basedindicator may include upper case letters.

The visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronic screenoverlay on the initial electronic screen overlay may be differentiatedfrom the visual indicator indicating a link to a next level electronicoverlay. For example, non-text indicators may be different colors oninitial and secondary electronic screen overlays.

The visual indicator indicating that a symbol functions as the terminalsymbol in a polysemous symbol sequence may include at least one non-textindicator displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol, a graphic of asmall circle in the corner of a key, for example.

The visual indicator that functions as the terminal symbol in apolysemous symbol sequence may include at least one non-text indicatorthat is not displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol, the absenceof a non-text indicator indicating a link to a next level electronicoverlay, for example.

The visual indicator indicating that a symbol functions as the terminalsymbol in a polysemous symbol sequence may include at least onetext-based indicator that is displayed in addition to the polysemoussymbol, and the at least one text-based indicator may include lower caseletters.

Either the visual indicator indicating that the symbol functions as theterminal symbol in a symbol sequence or the visual indicator indicatinga link to a next level electronic screen overlay may be displayed on atleast one key in addition to at least one non-polysemous symbol.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to amethod, comprising: providing polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display; storing, in amemory, a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in associationwith a pointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay whichis different from the initial electronic screen overlay; displaying asecond electronic screen overlay on the display, in response to initialselection of one of the provided polysemous symbols, the secondelectronic screen overlay being the electronic screen overlay associatedwith the selected polysemous symbol; storing, in a memory, a pluralityof the selectable polysemous symbols in association with a pointeridentifying display of an electronic screen overlay which is differentfrom the displayed second electronic screen overlay; and displaying athird electronic screen overlay on the display, in response to selectionof one of the provided polysemous symbols on the displayed secondelectronic screen overlay, the third electronic screen overlay being theelectronic screen overlay associated with the first and second selectedpolysemous symbols, wherein a plurality of polysemous symbols onsequentially linked electronic screen overlays include at least onesymbol useable as a terminal symbol in polysemous symbol sequences toproduce respective words with a same grammatical function or belongingto a same part of speech on at least several of the plurality ofinitial, second, and third linked electronic overlays.

The same grammatical function or part of speech may include at least oneof a verb form, an adjective form, and a noun form.

Two or more polysemous symbols may each include a symbol useable as aterminal symbol in polysemous symbol sequences to produce respectivewords with different morphological forms of the same grammaticalfunction or part of speech, singular and plural nouns, for example.

Each of the at least one symbol, useable as the terminal symbol inpolysemous symbol sequences, may include a visual indicator unique topolysemous symbols corresponding to the same grammatical function orpart of speech.

When two or more polysemous symbols each include a symbol useable as aterminal symbol in polysemous symbol sequences to produce respectivewords with different morphological forms of the same grammaticalfunction or part of speech, the visual indicator unique to polysemoussymbols corresponding to the same grammatical function or part of speechmay be displayed consistently across each of these two or morepolysemous symbols.

The initial, second, and third electronic screen overlays may eachinclude at least one polysemous symbol that functions as the terminalsymbol in one or more polysemous symbol sequences to trigger output ofone or more at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter,number, morpheme, command and phrase corresponding to the samegrammatical function or part of speech.

The visual indicator unique to polysemous symbols corresponding to thesame grammatical function or part of speech may be displayedconsistently with polysemous symbols functioning as terminal symbols insequences that end on the initial, second, and third electronic screenoverlays.

The visual indicator unique to polysemous symbols corresponding to thesame grammatical function or part of speech may include at least onenon-text indicator to be displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol,wherein the at least one non-text indicator may include a uniquebackground color on the key space surrounding a polysemous symbol.

The visual indicator unique to polysemous symbols corresponding to thesame grammatical function or part of speech may include at least onetext-based indicator displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol,wherein the at least one text-based indicator may include the color of atext label associated with a polysemous symbol.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anarticle of manufacture, comprising: a first code segment for causing thecomputer device to provide polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display; a second codesegment for causing the computer device to store, in a memory, aplurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in association with apointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay which isdifferent from the initial electronic screen overlay; a third codesegment for causing the computer device to display a second electronicscreen overlay on the display, in response to initial selection of oneof the provided polysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlaybeing the electronic screen overlay associated with the selectedpolysemous symbol; a fourth code segment for causing the computer deviceto store, in a memory, a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbolsin association with a pointer identifying display of an electronicscreen overlay which is different from the second electronic screenoverlay; and a fifth code segment for causing the computer device todisplay a third electronic screen overlay on the display, in response toselection of one of the provided polysemous symbols on the secondelectronic screen overlay, the third electronic screen overlay being theelectronic screen overlay associated with the first and second selectedpolysemous symbols, wherein a plurality of polysemous symbols onsequentially linked electronic screen overlays include at least onesymbol useable as a terminal symbol in polysemous symbol sequences toproduce respective words belonging to a same grammatical function orpart of speech on at least several of the plurality of initial, second,and third linked electronic overlays.

The same grammatical function or part of speech may include at least oneof a verb form, an adjective form, and a noun form.

Two or more polysemous symbols may each include a symbol useable as aterminal symbol in polysemous symbol sequences to produce respectivewords with different morphological forms of the same grammaticalfunction or part of speech, singular and plural nouns, for example.

Each of the at least one symbol, useable as the terminal symbol inpolysemous symbol sequences, may include a visual indicator unique topolysemous symbols corresponding to the same grammatical function orpart of speech.

When two or more polysemous symbols each include a symbol useable as aterminal symbol in polysemous symbol sequences to produce respectivewords with different morphological forms of the same grammaticalfunction or part of speech, the visual indicator unique to polysemoussymbols corresponding to the same grammatical function or part of speechmay be displayed consistently across each of these two or morepolysemous symbols.

The initial, second, and third electronic screen overlays may eachinclude at least one polysemous symbol that functions as the terminalsymbol in one or more polysemous symbol sequences to trigger output ofone or more at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter,number, morpheme, command and phrase corresponding to the samegrammatical function or part of speech.

The visual indicator unique to polysemous symbols corresponding to thesame grammatical function or part of speech may be displayedconsistently with polysemous symbols functioning as terminal symbols insequences that end on the initial, second, and third electronic screenoverlays.

The visual indicator unique to polysemous symbols corresponding to thesame grammatical function or part of speech may include at least onenon-text indicator to be displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol,wherein the at least one non-text indicator may include a uniquebackground color on the key space surrounding a polysemous symbol.

The visual indicator unique to polysemous symbols corresponding to thesame grammatical function or part of speech may include at least onetext-based indicator displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol,wherein the at least one text-based indicator may include the color of atext label associated with a polysemous symbol.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anapparatus, comprising: an integrated input and display device configuredto display an initial electronic screen overlay and configured toprovide polysemous symbols for selection on an initial electronic screenoverlay displayed on a display; a memory to store a plurality of theselectable polysemous symbols in association with a pointer identifyingdisplay of an electronic screen overlay which is different from theinitial electronic screen overlay; a processor to receive an indicationof selection of one of the provided polysemous symbols, the integratedinput and display device being further configured to display a secondelectronic screen overlay on the display, in response to the processorreceiving the indication of selection of one of the provided polysemoussymbols, the second electronic screen overlay being the electronicscreen overlay associated with the selected polysemous symbol, wherein aplurality of polysemous symbols on sequentially linked electronic screenoverlays include at least one symbol useable as a terminal symbol inpolysemous symbol sequences to produce respective words with a samegrammatical function or belonging to a same part of speech on at leastseveral of the plurality of initial, second, and third linked electronicoverlays.

The same grammatical function or part of speech may include at least oneof a verb form, an adjective form, and a noun form.

Two or more polysemous symbols may each include a symbol useable as aterminal symbol in polysemous symbol sequences to produce respectivewords with different morphological forms of the same grammaticalfunction or part of speech, singular and plural nouns, for example.

Each of the at least one symbol, useable as the terminal symbol inpolysemous symbol sequences, may include a visual indicator unique topolysemous symbols corresponding to the same grammatical function orpart of speech.

When two or more polysemous symbols each include a symbol useable as aterminal symbol in polysemous symbol sequences to produce respectivewords with different morphological forms of the same grammaticalfunction or part of speech, the visual indicator unique to polysemoussymbols corresponding to the same grammatical function or part of speechmay be displayed consistently across each of these two or morepolysemous symbols.

The initial, second, and third electronic screen overlays may eachinclude at least one polysemous symbol that functions as the terminalsymbol in one or more polysemous symbol sequences to trigger output ofone or more at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter,number, morpheme, command and phrase corresponding to the samegrammatical function or part of speech.

The visual indicator unique to polysemous symbols corresponding to thesame grammatical function or part of speech may be displayedconsistently with polysemous symbols functioning as terminal symbols insequences that end on the initial, second, and third electronic screenoverlays.

The visual indicator unique to polysemous symbols corresponding to thesame grammatical function or part of speech may include at least onenon-text indicator to be displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol,wherein the at least one non-text indicator may include a uniquebackground color on the key space surrounding a polysemous symbol.

The visual indicator unique to polysemous symbols corresponding to thesame grammatical function or part of speech may include at least onetext-based indicator displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol,wherein the at least one text-based indicator may include the color of atext label associated with a polysemous symbol.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to amethod, comprising: providing polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display, a plurality ofthe polysemous symbols with a same grammatical function or belonging toa same part of speech being displayed with at least one common visualindicator; storing, in a memory, a plurality of the selectablepolysemous symbols in association with a pointer identifying display ofan electronic screen overlay which is different from the initialelectronic screen overlay; and displaying a second electronic screenoverlay on the display, in response to initial selection of one of theprovided polysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlay beingthe electronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemoussymbol, wherein at least one of plurality of polysemous symbolsdisplayed for selection on the second electronic screen overlay includesa visual indicator that is not included with a similarly situatedpolysemous symbol previously displayed for selection on the initialelectronic screen overlay.

The at least one polysemous symbol displayed for selection on the secondelectronic screen overlay that includes a visual indicator that was notincluded with a similarly situated symbol on the initial electronicscreen overlay may include a visual indicator that is unique topolysemous symbols that are used to trigger output of one or more of aword, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, morpheme, command and phrasecorresponding to a same grammatical function or belonging to a same partof speech.

The second electronic screen overlay may include at least one polysemoussymbol that functions as the terminal symbol in one or more polysemoussymbol sequences to trigger output of one or more at least one of aword, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command andphrase corresponding to the same grammatical function or part of speech.

The grammatical function or part of speech may include at least one of averb form, an adjective form, and a noun form.

The grammatical function or part of speech may include at least twomorphological forms, singular and plural nouns, for example.

The visual indicator unique to a same grammatical function or part ofspeech may be displayed consistently with polysemous symbols functioningas terminal symbols in sequences that end on the initial, second, andthird electronic screen overlays.

The visual indicator unique to a the same grammatical function or partof speech may include at least one non-text indicator to be displayed inaddition to the polysemous symbol, wherein the at least one non-textindicator may include a unique background color on the key spacesurrounding a polysemous symbol.

The visual indicator unique to polysemous symbols corresponding to thesame grammatical function or part of speech may include at least onetext-based indicator displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol,wherein the at least one text-based indicator may include the color of atext label associated with a polysemous symbol.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anarticle of manufacture, comprising: a first code segment for causing thecomputer device to provide polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display, a plurality ofthe polysemous symbols with a same grammatical function or belonging toa same part of speech being displayed with at least one common visualindicator; a second code segment for causing the computer device tostore, in a memory, a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols inassociation with a pointer identifying display of an electronic screenoverlay which is different from the initial electronic screen overlay;and a third code segment for causing the computer device to display asecond electronic screen overlay on the display, in response to initialselection of one of the provided polysemous symbols, the secondelectronic screen overlay being the electronic screen overlay associatedwith the selected polysemous symbol, wherein at least one of pluralityof polysemous symbols displayed for selection on the second electronicscreen overlay includes a visual indicator that is not included with asimilarly situated polysemous symbol previously displayed for selectionon the initial electronic screen overlay.

The at least one polysemous symbol displayed for selection on the secondelectronic screen overlay that includes a visual indicator that was notincluded with a similarly situated symbol on the initial electronicscreen overlay may include a visual indicator that is unique topolysemous symbols that are used to trigger output of one or more of aword, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, morpheme, command and phrasecorresponding to a same grammatical function or belonging to a same partof speech.

The second electronic screen overlay may include at least one polysemoussymbol that functions as the terminal symbol in one or more polysemoussymbol sequences to trigger output of one or more at least one of aword, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command andphrase corresponding to the same grammatical function or part of speech.

The grammatical function or part of speech may include at least one of averb form, an adjective form, and a noun form.

The grammatical function or part of speech may include at least twomorphological forms, singular and plural nouns, for example.

The visual indicator unique to a same grammatical function or part ofspeech may be displayed consistently with polysemous symbols functioningas terminal symbols in sequences that end on the initial, second, andthird electronic screen overlays.

The visual indicator unique to a the same grammatical function or partof speech may include at least one non-text indicator to be displayed inaddition to the polysemous symbol, wherein the at least one non-textindicator may include a unique background color on the key spacesurrounding a polysemous symbol.

The visual indicator unique to polysemous symbols corresponding to thesame grammatical function or part of speech may include at least onetext-based indicator displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol,wherein the at least one text-based indicator may include the color of atext label associated with a polysemous symbol.

At least one embodiment of the present application is directed to anapparatus, comprising: an integrated input and display device configuredto display an initial electronic screen overlay and configured toprovide polysemous symbols for selection on the initial electronicscreen overlay, a plurality of the polysemous symbols with a samegrammatical function or belonging to a same part of speech beingdisplayed with at least one common visual indicator; a memory configuredto store a plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols in associationwith a pointer identifying display of an electronic screen overlay whichis different from the initial electronic screen overlay; and aprocessor, configured to control the integrated input and display deviceto display a second electronic screen overlay, in response to theprocessor receiving an indication of initial selection of one of theprovided polysemous symbols, the second electronic screen overlay beingthe electronic screen overlay associated with the selected polysemoussymbol, wherein at least one of plurality of polysemous symbolsdisplayed for selection on the second electronic screen overlay includesa visual indicator that is not included with a background color of asimilarly situated polysemous symbol previously displayed for selectionon the initial electronic screen overlay.

The at least one polysemous symbol displayed for selection on the secondelectronic screen overlay that includes a visual indicator that was notincluded with a similarly situated symbol on the initial electronicscreen overlay may include a visual indicator that is unique topolysemous symbols that are used to trigger output of one or more of aword, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, morpheme, command and phrasecorresponding to a same grammatical function or belonging to a same partof speech.

The second electronic screen overlay may include at least one polysemoussymbol that functions as the terminal symbol in one or more polysemoussymbol sequences to trigger output of one or more at least one of aword, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command andphrase corresponding to the same grammatical function or part of speech.

The grammatical function or part of speech may include at least one of averb form, an adjective form, and a noun form.

The grammatical function or part of speech may include at least twomorphological forms, singular and plural nouns, for example.

The visual indicator unique to a same grammatical function or part ofspeech may be displayed consistently with polysemous symbols functioningas terminal symbols in sequences that end on the initial, second, andthird electronic screen overlays.

The visual indicator unique to a the same grammatical function or partof speech may include at least one non-text indicator to be displayed inaddition to the polysemous symbol, wherein the at least one non-textindicator may include a unique background color on the key spacesurrounding a polysemous symbol.

The visual indicator unique to polysemous symbols corresponding to thesame grammatical function or part of speech may include at least onetext-based indicator displayed in addition to the polysemous symbol,wherein the at least one text-based indicator may include the color of atext label associated with a polysemous symbol.

The patent claims filed with the application are formulation proposalswithout prejudice for obtaining more extensive patent protection. Theapplicant reserves the right to claim even further combinations offeatures previously disclosed only in the description and/or drawings.

The patent claims filed with the application are formulation proposalswithout prejudice for obtaining more extensive patent protection. Theapplicant reserves the right to claim even further combinations offeatures previously disclosed only in the description and/or drawings.

The example embodiment or each example embodiment should not beunderstood as a restriction of the invention. Rather, numerousvariations and modifications are possible in the context of the presentdisclosure, in particular those variants and combinations which can beinferred by the person skilled in the art with regard to achieving theobject for example by combination or modification of individual featuresor elements or method steps that are described in connection with thegeneral or specific part of the description and are contained in theclaims and/or the drawings, and, by way of combinable features, lead toa new subject matter or to new method steps or sequences of methodsteps, including insofar as they concern production, testing andoperating methods.

References back that are used in dependent claims indicate the furtherembodiment of the subject matter of the main claim by way of thefeatures of the respective dependent claim; they should not beunderstood as dispensing with obtaining independent protection of thesubject matter for the combinations of features in the referred-backdependent claims. Furthermore, with regard to interpreting the claims,where a feature is concretized in more specific detail in a subordinateclaim, it should be assumed that such a restriction is not present inthe respective preceding claims.

Since the subject matter of the dependent claims in relation to theprior art on the priority date may form separate and independentinventions, the applicant reserves the right to make them the subjectmatter of independent claims or divisional declarations. They mayfurthermore also contain independent inventions which have aconfiguration that is independent of the subject matters of thepreceding dependent claims.

Further, elements and/or features of different example embodiments maybe combined with each other and/or substituted for each other within thescope of this disclosure and appended claims.

Still further, any one of the above-described and other example featuresof the present invention may be embodied in the form of an apparatus,method, system, computer program, tangible computer readable medium andtangible computer program product. For example, of the aforementionedmethods may be embodied in the form of a system or device, including,but not limited to, any of the structure for performing the methodologyillustrated in the drawings.

Even further, any of the aforementioned methods may be embodied in theform of a program. The program may be stored on a tangible computerreadable medium and is adapted to perform any one of the aforementionedmethods when run on a computer device (a device including a processor120). Thus, the tangible storage medium or tangible computer readablemedium, is adapted to store information and is adapted to interact witha data processing facility or computer device to execute the program ofany of the above mentioned embodiments and/or to perform the method ofany of the above mentioned embodiments.

The tangible computer readable medium or tangible storage medium may bea built-in medium installed inside a computer device main body or aremovable tangible medium arranged so that it can be separated from thecomputer device main body. Examples of the built-in tangible mediuminclude, but are not limited to, rewriteable non-volatile memories, suchas ROMs and flash memories, and hard disks. Examples of the removabletangible medium include, but are not limited to, optical storage mediasuch as CD-ROMs and DVDs; magneto-optical storage media, such as MOs;magnetism storage media, including but not limited to floppy disks(trademark), cassette tapes, and removable hard disks; media with abuilt-in rewriteable non-volatile memory, including but not limited tomemory cards; and media with a built-in ROM, including but not limitedto ROM cassettes; etc. Furthermore, various information regarding storedimages, for example, property information, may be stored in any otherform, or it may be provided in other ways.

Example embodiments being thus described, it will be obvious that thesame may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regardedas a departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention, andall such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art areintended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: displaying, on a display, avirtual keyboard including polysemous symbols for selection on aninitial electronic screen overlay, a plurality of the polysemous symbolsincluding an associated visual indicator indicating a link to one of aplurality of second electronic screen overlays, each different from theinitial electronic screen overlay; storing, in a memory, the pluralityof the selectable polysemous symbols in association with a pointer, thepointer linking each of the plurality of the selectable polysemoussymbols to one of the plurality of second electronic screen overlays;displaying on the display, the one of the plurality of second electronicscreen overlays linked to a selected one of the plurality of polysemoussymbols, in response to selection of the polysemous symbol from theinitial electronic screen overlay, the displayed one of the secondelectronic screen overlays including a virtual keyboard wherein lessthan all of a plurality of key locations on the virtual keyboard includea non-polysemous symbol, wherein at least one of plurality of polysemoussymbols displayed for selection on the second electronic screen overlayeither includes an associated visual indicator when a similarly situatedpolysemous symbol on the initial electronic screen overlay did notinclude an associated visual indicator or does not include an associatedvisual indicator when a similarly situated polysemous symbol on theinitial electronic screen overlay included an associated visualindicator; and outputting at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase, in response toselection of one of the non-polysemous symbols.
 2. The method of claim1, wherein at least a majority of the non-polysemous symbols on thedisplayed second electronic screen overlay belong to the same semanticcategory.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing aplurality of the selectable polysemous symbols, displayed in associationwith a respective visual indicator on the second electronic screenoverlay, in association with a pointer, the pointer linking each of theplurality of the selectable polysemous symbols of the second electronicoverlay to one of a plurality of third electronic screen overlays, eachdifferent from the next level electronic screen overlay; and displayinga third electronic screen overlay on the display, in response toselection of one of the selectable polysemous symbols, of the displayedsecond level electronic screen overlay, displayed in association with arespective visual indicator, the third electronic screen overlayincluding a plurality of symbols, each of the plurality of symbols ofthe third electronic screen overlay being associated with the selectedone of the polysemous symbols of the displayed second level electronicscreen overlay, wherein the third level electronic screen overlayincludes a virtual keyboard, and wherein at least a majority of theplurality of keys on the virtual keyboard includes a non-polysemoussymbol.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least a majority of thenon-polysemous symbols on the third level electronic screen overlaybelong to the same semantic category.
 5. The method of claim 4, furthercomprising: outputting at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme,message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase and displaying theinitial electronic screen overlay in place of the third electronicscreen overlay, in response to the third electronic screen beingdisplayed and in response to subsequent selection of one of thenon-polysemous symbols of the third electronic screen overlay.
 6. Themethod of claim 3, further comprising: outputting at least one of aword, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command andphrase and displaying the initial electronic screen overlay in place ofthe third electronic screen overlay, in response to subsequent selectionof one of the non-polysemous symbols of the third electronic screenoverlay.
 7. The method of claim 3, further comprising: outputting atleast one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number,morpheme, command and phrase and displaying the initial electronicscreen overlay in place of the third electronic screen overlay, inresponse to the third electronic screen being displayed and in responseto subsequent selection of one of the non-polysemous symbols of thethird electronic screen overlay.
 8. A non-transitory computer readablemedium including program segments for, when executed on a computersystem, causing the computer system to implement the method of claim 1.9. A apparatus, comprising: an integrated input and display configuredto display a virtual keyboard including polysemous symbols for selectionon an initial electronic screen overlay, a plurality of the polysemoussymbols including an associated visual indicator indicating a link toone of a plurality of second electronic screen overlays, each differentfrom the initial electronic screen overlay; a memory, configured tostore a the plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols inassociation with a pointer the pointer linking each of the plurality ofthe selectable polysemous symbols to one of the plurality of secondelectronic screen overlays; a processor configured to determineselection of one of the provided polysemous symbols, and configured tocontrol the display of the one of the plurality of second electronicscreen overlays, linked to a selected one of the plurality of polysemoussymbols, on the integrated input and display, in response to thedetermined selection, the displayed one of the second electronic screenoverlays including a virtual keyboard wherein less than all of aplurality of key locations on the virtual keyboard include anon-polysemous symbol, wherein at least one of plurality of polysemoussymbols displayed for selection on the second electronic screen overlayeither includes an associated visual indicator when a similarly situatedpolysemous symbol on the initial electronic screen overlay did notinclude an associated visual indicator or does not include an associatedvisual indicator when a similarly situated polysemous symbol on theinitial electronic screen overlay included an associated visualindicator, the integrated input and display device being furtherconfigured to either control output of at least one of a word, sentence,phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command and phrase inresponse to the processor determining selection of one of thenon-polysemous symbols.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein at least amajority of the non-polysemous symbols on the displayed secondelectronic screen overlay belong to the same semantic category.
 11. Theapparatus of claim 9, wherein the memory is further configured to storea plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols, displayed inassociation with a respective visual indicator on the second electronicscreen overlay, in association with a pointer, the pointer linking eachof the plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols of the secondelectronic overlay to one of a plurality of third electronic screenoverlays, each different from the next level electronic screen overlay,wherein the integrated input and display is further configured todisplay a third electronic screen overlay on the display, in response tothe processor determining selection of one of the selectable polysemoussymbols, of the displayed second level electronic screen overlay,displayed in association with a respective visual indicator, the thirdelectronic screen overlay including a plurality of symbols, each of theplurality of symbols of the third electronic screen overlay beingassociated with the selected one of the polysemous symbols of thedisplayed second level electronic screen overlay, wherein the thirdlevel electronic screen overlay includes a virtual keyboard, and whereinat least a majority of the plurality of keys on the virtual keyboardincludes a non-polysemous symbol.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11, whereinat least a majority of the non-polysemous symbols on the third levelelectronic screen overlay belong to the same semantic category.
 13. Theapparatus of claim 12, further comprising: an output device, configuredto output at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter,number, morpheme, command and phrase, the initial electronic screenoverlay being displayed in place of the third electronic screen overlay,in response to the processor controlling the display of the thirdelectronic screen and in response to the processor subsequentlydetermining selection of one of the non-polysemous symbols of the thirdelectronic screen overlay.
 14. The apparatus of claim 11, furthercomprising: an output device, configured to output at least one of aword, sentence, phoneme, message, letter, number, morpheme, command andphrase, the initial electronic screen overlay being displayed in placeof the third electronic screen overlay, in response to the processorcontrolling the display of the third electronic screen and in responseto the processor subsequently determining selection of one of thenon-polysemous symbols of the third electronic screen overlay.
 15. Theapparatus of claim 9, further comprising: an output device, configuredto output at least one of a word, sentence, phoneme, message, letter,number, morpheme, command and phrase, the initial electronic screenoverlay being displayed in place of the third electronic screen overlay,in response to the processor subsequently determining selection of oneof the non-polysemous symbols of the third electronic screen overlay.16. A method, comprising: providing polysemous symbols for selection onan initial electronic screen overlay displayed on a display, a subset ofthe plurality of the polysemous symbols being displayed with a firstbackground color, the first background color indicating a grammaticalfunction or part of speech; storing, in a memory, a plurality of theselectable polysemous symbols in association with a pointer, the pointerlinking each of the plurality of the selectable polysemous symbols toone of a plurality of second electronic screen overlays, each differentfrom the initial electronic screen overlay; and displaying the one ofthe plurality of second electronic screen overlays linked to a selectedone of the plurality of polysemous symbols, in response to selection ofthe polysemous symbols from the initial electronic screen overlay,wherein at least one of plurality of polysemous symbols displayed forselection on the second electronic screen overlay is displayed with asecond background color, indicating a different grammatical function orpart of speech than indicated by the first background color, that isdifferent from the first background color of a similarly situatedpolysemous symbol previously displayed for selection on the initialelectronic screen overlay.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the atleast one polysemous symbol displayed for selection on the secondelectronic screen overlay including a second background color includes abackground color common to polysemous symbols, displayed for selectionon the initial electronic screen overlay, with a same grammaticalfunction or belonging to a same part of speech as the at least onepolysemous symbol displayed for selection on the second electronicscreen overlay.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the grammaticalfunction or part of speech includes at least one of a verb form, anadjective form, and a noun form.
 19. The method of claim 16, wherein thegrammatical function or part of speech includes at least one of a verbform, an adjective form, and a noun form.
 20. A non-transitory computerreadable medium including program segments for, when executed on acomputer system, causing the computer system to implement the method ofclaim
 16. 21. An apparatus, comprising: an integrated input and displaydevice configured to display an initial electronic screen overlay andconfigured to provide polysemous symbols for selection on the initialelectronic screen overlay, a subset of the plurality of the polysemoussymbols being displayed with a first background color, the firstbackground color indicating a grammatical function or part of speech; amemory configured to store a plurality of the selectable polysemoussymbols in association with a pointer, the pointer linking each of theplurality of the selectable polysemous symbols to one of a plurality ofsecond electronic screen overlays, each different from the initialelectronic screen overlay; and a processor, configured to control theintegrated input and display device to display the one of the pluralityof second electronic screen overlays linked to a selected one of theplurality of polysemous symbols, in response to the processor receivingan indication of selection of the polysemous symbols from the initialelectronic screen overlay, wherein at least one of plurality ofpolysemous symbols displayed for selection on the second electronicscreen overlay is displayed with a second background color, indicating adifferent grammatical function or part of speech than indicated by thefirst background color, that is different from the first backgroundcolor of a similarly situated polysemous symbol previously displayed forselection on the initial electronic screen overlay.
 22. The apparatus ofclaim 21, wherein the at least one polysemous symbol displayed forselection on the second electronic screen overlay including a secondbackground color includes a background color common to polysemoussymbols, displayed for selection on the initial electronic screenoverlay, with a same grammatical function or belonging to a same part ofspeech as the at least one polysemous symbol displayed for selection onthe second electronic screen overlay.
 23. The apparatus of claim 22,wherein the grammatical function or part of speech includes at least oneof a verb form, an adjective form, and a noun form.
 24. The apparatus ofclaim 21, wherein the grammatical function or part of speech includes atleast one of a verb form, an adjective form, and a noun form.